Over 132 people died in a remote pocket of Nepal when a shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck early Saturday, officials told news agency PTI. Karnali Province police spokesman Gopal Chandra Bhattarai told news outlets that over 100 people have been injured.
The US Geological Survey said the tremor hit the far west of the Himalayan country late Friday at just 18 kilometres (11 miles) deep. Videos and images shared on social media showed locals digging deep through rubble in the dark to pull survivors from the rubble as the temblor collapsed homes and buildings.
The report by AFP said mud houses were flattened or damaged as survivors remained crouched outside, looking for safety.
Mud houses were flattened or damaged as survivors crouched outside for safety, as the sirens of emergency vehicles wailed. The earthquake was felt as far away as New Delhi. The epicentre of the earthquake was 42 km south of Jumla.
“In our district, 26 people have died and many are injured. It is still night and it is difficult to get all the information. The toll might rise,” Jajarkot district chief Suresh Sunar told AFP.
