6 die as powerful quake rocks Nepal
Kathmandu, Nov 9 (EFE).- A powerful earthquake rocked western Nepal on Wednesday morning, killing at least six people and destroying nearly a dozen houses, said an official.
The National Seismological Center said the tremor measured 6.6 on the Richter scale.
But the US Geological Survey reported that it was magnitude-5.6 temblor. It issued a “yellow alert” for shaking-related fatalities.
The US agency warned of “some casualties,” saying the impact should be relatively localized.
Bhola Bhatta, deputy superintendent of police, told EFE that six people were buried in a house in Purbichauki in the western district of Doti.
The dead included three children aged between 8 and 14.
“Nearly a dozen houses collapsed,” he said.
Bhatta said five people suffered injuries and were admitted to a hospital.
The National Seismological Centre, the earthquake occurred at 2.12 am, with its epicenter at Khaptad National Park in western Nepal.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba expressed grief.
“Expressing my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who died in the earthquake,” Deuba tweeted.
“I have instructed the relevant agencies to arrange immediate and proper treatment of the injured and the victims.”
Nepal police said search and rescue efforts are on.
Tremors were also felt in neighboring India, as people in the capital New Delhi and surrounding regions rushed out of their houses in the middle of the night after seeing buildings rocking.
According to the United Nations, Nepal is the 11th most vulnerable country to earthquakes.
On Apr.25, 2015, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Nepal that toppled multi-story buildings in the capital Kathmandu and triggered landslides and avalanches in the mountains.
Nearly 9,000 people died and more than 22,000 suffered injuries.
The Himalayan nation is still rebuilding after the devastating earthquakes that razed towns and villages, causing damage in billions of dollars. EFE
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