No Maldivians hurt in Nepal earthquake

Maldivians living in Nepal have not been harmed in the massive earthquake, the Foreign Ministry said in a short statement here on Monday.

The Maldivian Foreign Ministry said it is following the developments in Nepal, Bangladesh and India closely and is in contact with Maldivians living in the countries. "As per the information received by the ministry so far, Maldivians in Nepal are safe and have not suffered any injuries in connection with this disaster,"a statement from the ministry said.

Asian countries are scrambling to locate thousands of their nationals stranded in Nepal after the quake hit.

China said it is chartering flights to pick up 683 tourists that were in the country when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit near Kathmandu, reducing the capital to rubble in the worst disaster to hit the country in more than 80 years.

By early Monday, the official death toll in Nepal stood at 3, 218, a spokesman for the Home Ministry said, but officials said they expected it to rise as search teams reached more-remote areas.

More than 6,500 people were injured. The quake's damage reached across Nepal's borders into India, where 60 were killed, and China, which reported some 20 deaths. Aid agencies were mobilizing aid with China, India, U.S. and others promising funds. Endi