Nepal Races Against Time to Save Earthquake Survivors; Death Toll Reaches 128
Published on: November 4, 2023.
Filed under:
Troops are working diligently to clear roads and mountain trails hindered by landslides triggered by a devastating earthquake. In an effort to assist the injured, medical workers and supplies were flown in by helicopters to the affected areas.
Bhim Dhakal, the regional police chief, stated that their main focus is on finding survivors and transporting them to hospitals. Unfortunately, the death toll is projected to rise as communication remains severed in numerous locations, officials reported on Saturday.
The Nepalese authorities have prioritized the task of locating survivors after a powerful earthquake struck districts in northwestern Nepal just before midnight on Friday. At least 128 people have been killed, with dozens more injured.
Ground forces are currently working to free the injured and deceased from the debris, according to Kuber Kadayat, a spokesperson for the Nepal police. The regional hospital in Nepalgunj has made over 100 beds available and has assembled teams of doctors to aid the injured.
Bimal Kumar Karki, one of the first individuals to be rescued and brought to the regional hospital, shared his terrifying experience. He said, “I was fast asleep when all of a sudden it started shaking violently. I tried to run but the whole house collapsed. I tried escaping but half my body got buried in the debris. I screamed, but every one of my neighbors was in the same situation and screaming for help. It took nearly a half-hour to an hour before rescuers found me.”
Rescue helicopters have been dispatched, along with small planes from the government and army capable of landing on short mountain strips, to transport the wounded to Nepalgunj.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake initially measured 5.6 in magnitude and occurred 11 miles deep. Nepal’s National Earthquake Monitoring & Research Centre has identified the epicenter in Jajarkot, approximately 400km northeast of the capital, Kathmandu.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal arrived via helicopter with a team of doctors and flew seven injured individuals back to a hospital. It’s worth noting that Dahal led an armed communist revolt from 1996 to 2006, which began in the very districts most affected by the quake.
In Jajarkot district, where the epicenter was identified, 92 people have been confirmed dead and 55 others injured, according to Kadayat. Additionally, the quake has claimed the lives of at least 36 people in the neighboring Rukum district, resulting in numerous collapsed houses. Authorities have transported at least 85 injured individuals to the local hospital.
Security officials and local villagers have worked tirelessly throughout the night in darkness to rescue the dead and injured from the ruins of their homes.
The earthquake’s impact was felt as far away as New Delhi, India’s capital, which is over 800km away.
Nepal is prone to earthquakes due to its mountainous terrain. In 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake claimed the lives of roughly 9,000 people and caused significant damage to approximately 1 million structures.
India, neighboring Nepal, has offered to assist in the rescue efforts. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep sadness for the loss of lives and the devastation caused by the earthquake in Nepal through social media. He stated, “India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is ready to extend all possible assistance.”
Source: [SCMP](https://www.scmp.com)
