Nepal Earthquake Destroyed Towns Close To The Epicenter

The Red Cross revealed that towns and villages close to the epicenter of the Nepal earthquake were all but devastated. The survivors were living in a desperate situation, according to assessment teams. The official death toll of the 7.8-magniture earthquake has reached 6,204 people while another 13,932 individuals were injured.

However, the figures have not yet taken into account remote areas, and the government is expecting the death toll to exceed the 10,000 mark. These isolated areas have yet to be reached by Nepalese and international rescue teams due to poor weather and landslides.

Twenty helicopters have been ferrying relief to the Rasuwa, Sindhupalchok, Dhading, Gorkha, Nuwakot and Dolakha districts, the home ministry revealed.

While reporters said that the number of helicopters in the area is lacking, China is set to provide additional helicopters to assist in the relief efforts. The Nepalese government has also made an appeal for additional aircraft. The capital of Kathmandu also received good news on Thursday as a teenage boy and a woman were rescued from two collapsed buildings.

However, the disaster response of the government following the Nepal earthquake was met with criticisms. Rescue and relief operations have focused on collapsed building within Kathmandu, particularly the central bus terminal and the historic monuments of the city, the home ministry revealed.

Nepal Earthquake Devastates Areas Around Epicenter - image credit: telegraph.co.uk

Search teams will also be sent to look for survivors along historic monuments located in Bhaktapur and Patan.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or the IFRC said Sindhupalchok was among the worst affected areas following the Nepal earthquake. Asia Pacific division head of the IFRC Jagan Chapagain said one team reported that ninety percent of homes in Chautara in the Sindhupalchok district were destroyed.

Chapagain added that the hospital collapsed and people were using their hands to dig through the rubble hoping to find members of their family still alive. He also said a number of other locations where assistance has yet to be given should have the same situation.

The IFRC said around 40,000 homes were destroyed in Sindhupalchok. Around 1,400 people were killed in the district, according to the World Health Organization.

Thousands of people have left the capital due to the shortage of food and water. Clashes have erupted between police and protestors due to the slow distribution of aid and shortage of buses. Nepal will also face numerous challenges in the coming months, including continuing relief efforts removal of dead animals, and rebuilding of destroyed latrines.

The farming community of Nepal is also expected to face challenges, according to the UN. The UN revealed that seed stocks for the rice sowing season of May have been destroyed by the Nepal earthquake, which will result to farmers missing the planting season.

Posted by James Fried on Friday May 01 2015, 2:36 PM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0