Update – 2,500 Killed By Nepal Earthquake

The death toll in Nepal climbed towards 2,500 on Sunday as rescuers unearthed the victims of a powerful earthquake.



The figure, confirmed by Nepali police, has risen steadily as emergency services explore the wreckage of collapsed buildings, particularly in the Kathmandu valley.



There have been 773 people killed in Nepal's densely-populated capital Kathmandu, while the Himalayan nation's central region, close to the epicenter of Saturday's 7.8-magnitude quake, has seen 1,055 deaths.



Nearly 7,500 people have been injured.



On Sunday afternoon, a 6.7-magnitude aftershock struck 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Kathmandu, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, raising fears of further building collapses.



There have also been 62 people killed in India, according the Indian Express newspaper, while Chinese state media reported 17 deaths in Tibet.



Nepalis have remained on edge since the quake that destroyed buildings, ripped up roads and set off avalanches in the Himalayas, including one that tore through the Mount Everest base camp.



Much of the initial damage assessment has focused on urban areas but many fear the death toll could also be high in remote areas where the earthquake triggered landslides.



Children's rights group Plan International said in a statement released on Sunday that it has sent teams to rural areas.



"There is widespread destruction, collapsed buildings, schools severely damaged and many roads are blocked due to landslides in rural areas," said Plan's Nepal Director Mattias Bryneson said after returning to Kathmandu from the country's southeast.



"It is starting to rain in many areas and all over the region people are living outside with little or no shelter, children are crying and health care facilities are overrun."



Hospitals in Kathmandu have been overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, with many reporting a lack of capacity and supplies.



"Now we are having a scarcity of medicine," Dipendra Pandey, an orthopedic doctor at Bir Hospital's trauma center. "There are some NGOs that have promised to bring medicine and say that they are on their way."



Other hospitals reported dangerously low blood supplies, essential for operating on serious injuries.



Kathmandu residents camped outside on Saturday evening for fear that strong tremors could cause more damage.



"We're just kind of recovering still, people are still uneasy about going back inside buildings," Rajeev Ravishankar, a Kathmandu-based journalist, said. "There have been a lot of aftershocks all throughout the night and even this morning."



Locals focused on gathering supplies although most shops remained closed, he added although some street vendors have been selling fruit.



"Some shops are open, kind of," Ravishankar told The Anadolu Agency. "The problem is the damage, so you can kind of walk in and grab a few items like biscuits and stuff like that but it's pretty minimal."



The earthquake, the worst to hit the Himalayan nation since 1934, destroyed many old buildings and ruptured roads while telephone and Internet communication was severely disrupted.



Images shared on social media showed the scale of the devastation.



"Most new high rises in #Kathmandu ok, old buildings down. Temples reduced to rubble," Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times newspaper, posted on Twitter. "Aftershocks were major jolts almost as severe as the main quake."



The historic 62-meter tall Dharahara tower in central Kathmandu was brought crashing down by the quake, with scores of people believed to be trapped under the rubble.



Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the news on Twitter: "We are in the process of finding more information and are working to reach out to those affected, both at home & in Nepal."



In a written statement issued Saturday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said some Turkish citizens in Nepal had been contacted. No Turkish casualties have been reported.



"Turkey offers its condolences to the Nepali people and government due to the losses in the earthquake and has launched efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Nepal," the statement said.



The Turkish Red Crescent dispatched an expert team from Pakistan and Bangladesh to the region and will initially send 1,000 blankets and hundreds of food packages.



Other Turkish aid agencies have sent a 65-strong search and rescue team under the coordination of the Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management.



In Washington D.C., the White House said the U.S. was deploying a team of disaster response experts and providing an initial $1 million in relief.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Nepal