A child is carried from the rubble of
collapsed buildings in Kathmandu on Sunday. Photograph: Narendra Shrestha/EPA
A woman mourns the death of a family member
in Bhaktapur on Sunday. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters
The
death toll from the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday has
risen to more than 2,500. More than 5,000 people have been injured. Powerful
aftershocks today between Kathmandu and Everest unleashed more avalanches in
the Himalayas and caused panic in the capital, where hospital workers
stretchered patients out into the street as it was too dangerous treat them
indoors.
At
least 17 people believed to have been killed on Everest, and 61 injured, by an
avalanche which left mountaineers calling for helicopter assistance to evacuate
the most badly wounded.
The
UK government has announced that it will donate £5m to help the rescue effort
in Nepal.
A
state of emergency has been declared Many historic landmarks, including the
Dharahara tower, have been reduced to rubble following the quake.
Governments
are scrambling to locate thousands of their nationals and relatives took to social
media to find their loved ones.
The
international community has also pledged support and aid packages to Nepal. The
US secretary of state, John Kerry, has said the US will pledge $1m to the aid
effort and will also assist with a disaster response team. Australia has also
pledged a Aus$5m aid package, while India, Sri Lanka, the UK, China and others
are all sending disaster response teams to assist in search and rescue.
Pope
Francis led prayers in St Peter’s Square for the dead, displaced and injured in
Nepal and surrounding areas.
Weather
reports suggested that survivors of the quake - who are sleeping outside
because of fear of unsafe building - will face heavy downpours in the next
week.
The
quakes caused widespread damage to Nepal’s infrastructure which has further
hampered search and rescue operations. Injured climbers at Mount Everest, where
an avalanche struck following the quake, have been flown by helicopter to
receive medical treatment.
A Buddha statue is surrounded by debris from
a collapsed temple in the UNESCO world heritage site of Bhaktapur on April 26,
2015 in Bhaktapur, Nepal. Photograph: Omar Havana/Getty Images
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