Powerful earthquake kills about 1,400 in Nepal

About 1,400 people were killed in a powerful earthquake that struck Nepal at midday on Saturday and the death toll is expected to rise as the resuce work is going on across the country, sources said Sunday.

Some 5,000 people were also injured in the quake, the sources said.

Reports said at least 300 bodies were retrieved from damaged buildings in the capital. The Kathmandu velley was the worst hit area in the quake, with more deaths being reported there.

Meanwhile, an official from the Ministry of Tourism said at least 10 people, including foreign climbers, had been reportedly killed in an avalanche triggered by the quake.

Four Chinese nationals, including two workers with a Chinese company, a mountain climber and a tourist, were killed and five others seriously injured in the quake, the Chinese Embassy confirmed.

Xinhua reporter in Kathmandu said thousands of people had spent the night in pavements, parks and fields for fearing of aftershocks. A 6.6-magnitude aftershock struck about an hour later after the initial tremor.

Rescue operations are underway by the Nepal Army, Police and Armed Police Force but they are slow in the remote areas of the country due to lack of equipment.

An emergency cabinet meeting had announced 29 districts in the country as crisis zones, according to the Home Affairs Ministry.

Amid the devastating disaster, the government of Nepal has appealed for assistance from the international community.

The powerful quake, which was followed by at least 14 aftershocks, also jolted parts of India, and was felt in Bangladesh and Pakistan.