Update 6 - More Than 1,000 Killed İn Nepal Earthquake

More than one thousand people were killed in Nepal after the Himalayan nation was hit by a powerful earthquake Saturday.



At least 1,251 people were killed in different parts of the country according to figures released by Nepali police. 



The worst hit region has been the Kathmandu Valley, where at least 585 people have been found dead, and figures are expected to rise as victims are dug out from under collapsed buildings.



At least 34 people have died in India's northern state of Bihar, which borders Nepal, officials said. 



The 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck 80 kilometers northwest of capital Kathmandu, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, but the tremors were felt as far away at New Delhi, Dhaka and Pakistan's Punjab region.



Buildings were destroyed and roads ruptured in Nepalwhile telephone and Internet communication was severely disrupted.



"The buildings started to shake and people fled their homes. Now more than five hours later, people are still on the streets," The Anadolu Agency's reporter in Kathmandu said. "There was panic all around, people were screaming, they were crying, they were carrying their babies. There was chaos."



There have been 18 aftershocks, all above 4.2-magnitude, since the original earthquake, causing further panic.



People have gathered in open spaces, where they are trying to contact family members, overloading the country's telephone networks.



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."



NDTV reported that India has sent its first plane carrying four tons of aid to Nepal.



In a written statement issued on Saturday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said some Turkish citizens in Nepal were contacted, adding that, so far, there have been no Turkish citizens hurt. 



"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 read. 



The White House also released a statement to express deep condolences for the lives lost in the aftermath of the earthquake.



The U.S. "is deploying a team of disaster response experts to Nepal," the statement read, noting that Washington is also providing an initial $1 million in disaster relief assistance.  



The Turkish Red Crescent has dispatched an expert team from Pakistan and Bangladesh to the earthquake-hit region, and as a first step, will send 1,000 blankets and hundreds of food packages via Turkish Airlines late on Saturday.   



www.aa.com.tr/en - Washington DC