Death Toll from Nepal's Devastating Quake Passes 7,000: Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The death toll in Nepal from last weekend's devastating earthquake has risen to 7,040, an official from the National Emergency Operations Centre said on Sunday.
More than 14,000 other people were injured in the 7.8-magnitude quake that hit the Himalayan nation on August 25, the center’s duty officer said.
"But the figure (for the number killed) is likely to rise," the officer was quoted by AFP as saying.
More than 100 people in neighboring India and China also died in the quake, officials say.
The focus has shifted from searching through the rubble for survivors to providing much-needed aid to those stranded in far-flung areas of the impoverished nation.
Rameshwor Dangal, joint secretary of Nepal's National Disaster Management Division, said many people were waiting to either receive emergency aid supplies or else be airlifted to safety.
"In many areas people are not getting relief and it is natural that they are unhappy about it," he told AFP.
"We estimate that there may still be around 1,000 people in Sindhupalchowk and Rasuwa areas who need to be rescued. This includes the injured and the stranded people, including the foreigners."
