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NEW DELHI—Residents of Nepal's capital sought refuge outside overnight night, fearful of further aftershocks after a massive earthquake rocked much of the country Saturday, killing1 more than 3,200 people and injuring several thousand others.
Communications systems from rural areas have been knocked out by the earthquake. The death and injury tolls2 are expected to rise when word comes in from those areas.
Saturday's 7.8 magnitude quake struck 80 kilometers northwest of Kathmandu, destroying large parts of the capital's historic center. Sunday's 6.7 aftershock was among at least 18 smaller quakes that shook the Kathmandu area since.
Citing Nepali government sources, the United Nations said 35 of the country's 75 districts are affected3. Some 30 million people live in Nepal.
More Than 3,200 Dead in Nepal Quake
VOA correspondent Steve Herman reports that emergency officials in Kathmandu say they are "overwhelmed" with rescue and assistance requests from across the country.
Disaster response teams from the United States and other nations are deploying5 to help search, rescue and recovery efforts.
On a website established by the International Committee of the Red Cross, hundreds of Nepalis and foreigners are reported missing by their loved ones. Far fewer have checked in on the site to report they are alive.
The earthquake rocked the mountainous region minutes before noon local time on Saturday, flattening6 historic structures of wood and brick in the ancient capital city. At least 180 people were reported dead when the city's iconic Dharahara Tower - a UNESCO world heritage site - collapsed7.
To the east, avalanches9 shook Mt. Everest - the highest point on earth - killing at least 18 climbers, injuring many others and burying entire base camps.
By early Sunday, sources reported to VOA deaths and extensive property damage in the Tibet Autonomous10 Region, hundreds of kilometers north of Kathmandu.
At least 34 people were killed in India, as other partial casualty reports from far-flung regions came from Bangladesh, Bhutan and elsewhere in the vast and remote Nepal-Chinese border regions.
US aid
The United States expressed condolences for the lives lost and pledged an immediate11 $1 million for disaster relief.
Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement, "We are working closely with the government of Nepal to provide assistance and support. ... USAID is preparing to deploy4 a Disaster Assistance Response Team and is activating12 an Urban Search and Rescue Team to accompany disaster experts and assist with assessments13 of the situation."
Additionally, the Obama administration activated14 an elite15 Virginia-based earthquake rescue team, and told another renowned16 team of specialists in Los Angeles to prepare for deployment17.
India’s foreign secretary, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said three tons of supplies and 40 members of India's National Disaster Response Force were flying to Nepal. The country is also evacuating19 its nationals by air.
China, Germany and Israel are among the countries also sending disaster personnel to the area.
Kapil Shrestha, a professor at Tribhuvan University, was among the more fortunate residents of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu. Although his house developed multiple cracks after the powerful earthquake, he said he was able to spend Saturday night indoors.
But tens of thousands of others were not so fortunate and continued to camp on streets and in parks for a second day.
Shrestha said it was a sleepless20 night for the Himalayan country as repeated tremors21 and aftershocks hit the region and the sounds of helicopters on rescue missions ripped the air.
“Overnight the whole city looked like a refugee camp, living in makeshift tents, makeshift places, all displaced people. Now I can understand what kind of pain and what kind of problems these refugees would go through," he said.
"The aftershocks keep coming ... so people don't know what to expect," Sanjay Karki, Nepal country head for global aid agency Mercy Corps22, told The Associated Press. "All the open spaces in Kathmandu are packed with people who are camping outdoors. When the aftershocks come you cannot imagine the fear. You can hear women and children crying."
In India, where thousands of Nepalese work, 50-year-old Om Prashad struggled to communicate with his family in the remote village of Argakhachi. The low-income worker was devastated23 after hearing that the house he built just last year with his savings24 was severely25 damaged.
Worried about corruption26 in his country, he doubts whether he will get any assistance.
Medical help
On Sunday, rescuers continued to struggle to pull more bodies out of the rubble27 of homes and buildings.
Doctors raced to attend to the thousands of injured who flooded hospitals. Many had to be treated in makeshift areas set up in tents or parking lots. As supplies ran out, hospitals scrambled28 to get medicines.
Rescue operations are under way throughout the mountainous kingdom. Nepal's neighbors, including India and Pakistan, sent condolences and were scrambling29 to provide assistance.
Saturday's earthquake was the strongest in 81 years in Nepal, since an even mightier30 jolt31 in 1934 that killed more than 10,000 people.
The massive scale of the tragedy unfolded in the hours after the earthquake flattened32 homes, damaged buildings, and split open walls and roads in the bustling33 Kathmandu Valley - home to 2.5 million people and Nepal’s main cities. Historic structures made of wood and unmortared brick were leveled.
Aid workers warned that the situation could be far worse near the epicenter. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered near Lamjung, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Kathmandu, in the Gorkha district.
Roads to that area were blocked by landslides34, hindering rescue teams, chief district official Prakash Subedi told AP. Teams were trekking35 through mountain trails to reach remote villages, and helicopters would also be deployed, he said by telephone.
The aid group World Vision said in a statement that remote mountain communities, including in Gorkha, were totally unprepared for the level of destruction caused by the earthquake.
The earthquake also triggered an avalanche8 at the Mount Everest Base Camp, killing several guides and mountaineers and flattening many tents. Romanian climber Alex Gavan tweeted, “Running for life from my tent.” Thousands of foreign nationals were reported to be in Nepal for the spring trekking season.
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1
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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tolls
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| （缓慢而有规律的）钟声( toll的名词复数 )； 通行费； 损耗； （战争、灾难等造成的）毁坏 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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deploy
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| v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开 | |
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deploying
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| （尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用 | |
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flattening
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| n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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avalanches
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| n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 ) | |
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autonomous
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| adj.自治的；独立的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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activating
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| 活动的，活性的 | |
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assessments
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| n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价 | |
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activated
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| adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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elite
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| n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的 | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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deployment
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| n. 部署,展开 | |
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deployed
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| （尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用 | |
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evacuating
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| 撤离，疏散( evacuate的现在分词 )； 排空（胃肠），排泄（粪便）； （从危险的地方）撤出，搬出，撤空 | |
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sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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tremors
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| 震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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devastated
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| v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的 | |
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savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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rubble
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| n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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mightier
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| adj. 强有力的，强大的，巨大的 adv. 很，极其 | |
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jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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landslides
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| 山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数 | |
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35
trekking
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| v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水 | |
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