A massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck east of Pokhara in Nepal, causing widespread damage to buildings in the capital Kathmandu and injuring dozens across the country.At least two people were killed. A girl died when a statue fell on her in a park in Kathmandu while another died in neighbouring India when her house collapsed, Reuters reported.
At the main hospital in Kathmandu, people with broken limbs were rushed in for treatment. There was no official word on the number of injured but witnesses put the figure in the dozens.
Photographs posted on Twitter showed buildings reduced to piles of rubble, large cracks on roads and highways and crowds of people gathering in open spaces after the quake that had its epicentre near Lamjung, located about 185km from Kathmandu.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially said the temblor measured at 7.7 but later upgraded it to 7.9-magnitude. It said the quake hit at 11:56 am local time (0611 GMT) at a shallow depth of 15 km.
The quake was followed by at least four aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 6.6 to 4.8, the USGS said.
Nepal’s information minister Minendra Rijal told NDTV channel that there were reports of damage in and around Kathmandu but no immediate word on casualties. He said rescue teams were on the scene.
Footage from Nepal’s Kantipur TV channel showed Nepalese soldiers digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings with their hands and people rushing the injured to hospital.
Kathmandu's international airport was damaged and some flights were diverted to Indian cities.
A Reuters reporter in Kathmandu said he had seen some buildings collapse and walls of several houses reduced to rubble. "Everyone is out in the streets, people are rushing to the hospital," the reporter said.
The nine-storey Dharahara Tower, a popular attraction in Kathmandu, collapsed and several people were believed to buried in its rubble. Several old temples also collapsed.
Nepal’s national radio warned people to stay outdoors because more aftershocks were expected.
The old quarters of Kathmandu is a warren of tightly packed, narrow lanes with poorly constructed homes. Nepal's lack of disaster preparedness, the decrepit buildings packed along lanes and large families who live in these homes make the prospect of a major earthquake a serious concern.
Tremors were felt as far away as New Delhi and other northern and eastern cities in India, including Lucknow, Bhopal, Kolkata and Guwahati. At most places, the tremors reportedly lasted between 45 seconds and one minute. The quake also jolted the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.
"We are in the process of finding more information and are working to reach out to those affected, both at home & in Nepal," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
In Delhi, people came running out of buildings when the jolts were felt around 11.40am. The tremors lasted almost 45 seconds. An aftershock was felt after 30 minutes.
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