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Nepal earthquake death toll tops 2000

Author
AAP and Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Sun, 26 Apr 2015, 6:42AM
Flowers left on the debris of a destroyed building in Kathmandu (Getty Images)
Flowers left on the debris of a destroyed building in Kathmandu (Getty Images)

Nepal earthquake death toll tops 2000

Author
AAP and Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Sun, 26 Apr 2015, 6:42AM

UPDATED 8.07pm: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it's now made contact with more than 150 New Zealanders in Nepal.

Communications are difficult, and it's not known how many Kiwis are still unaccounted for.

Meanwhile, rescuers in Nepal are searching frantically for survivors of a huge quake that has killed more than 2000 people.

MORE: Harrowing time for NZ-based Nepalese

Hospitals are so stretched that medics have set up tents outside the buildings to treat patients.

Officials say 17 people are so far known to have died on Mount Everest where an avalanche triggered by the earthquake buried part of base camp.

It is the deadliest disaster in Everest's history and comes almost exactly a year after an avalanche killed 16 Sherpa guides.

Eight Kiwis missing

The families of eight New Zealanders have registered their names as among those missing in Nepal.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is helping to compile an online list of people who haven't been unaccounted for.

People in Nepal can also register that they're alive and well.

The New Zealanders registered as missing come from the likes of Auckland, Christchurch, the West Coast and Bay of Plenty.

Meanwhile, a group of New Zealand high school students from Christchurch have been reported safe in Nepal after the 7.8 quake struck.

Christchurch was severely damaged by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 2011 which killed 185 people.

St Margaret's College says its students were participating in a World Challenge expedition at the time.

The four teachers and 26 students have food and water and local support and are waiting to be evacuated.

NZ pledges $1 million

The Foreign Minister has announced New Zealand will make an initial contribution of $1 million to assist the aid effort in earthquake-ravaged Nepal.

Murray McCully says New Zealand’s contribution will be provided to agencies that are active on the ground and have the capability to provide immediate assistance.

He adds New Zealand has offered its Urban Search and Rescue team, but at this stage it's clear Nepal’s close neighbours have been able to deploy teams rapidly.

"We have suitably qualified people, but they hap to be a lot furth aw from the action than countries like India, Singapore, China."

The Ministry has accounted for 110 New Zealanders in Nepal, but is still trying to make contact with an unknown number of others.

Meanwhile, several helicopters have landed at Mount Everest base camp to rescue victims of an avalanche that has killed at least 17 people.

Another 61 have been injured.

Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association says 22 of the seriously injured have been taken by helicopter to the nearest medical facility.

Adventure Consultants has a 14-person climbing team at the camp, made up of ten climbers, including the kiwis and four guides.

Seventeen sherpas are also at the camp.

Operations manager Caroline Blaikie says an operation to remove those still at the semi-destroyed Base Camp, further down, is underway.

Sobering statistics

There have now been more than 40 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or greater.

More than 20% of the country and 4.6 million are affected by the quakes.

In neighbouring India, 34 people have died.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says we're ready with financial and practical assistance, following the devastating earthquake.

He says it's clear there's been massive damage to Nepal’s infrastructure and economy.

Mr McCully says New Zealand is keen to provide help as soon as the Nepali authorities tell us what's going to be most useful.

He's offering our deepest condolences to the people of Nepal.

"We know from recent experience the suffering an earthquake of this magnitude can bring."

MFAT says the New Zealand High Commission and Honorary Consul in Nepal continue to seek information about the welfare and whereabouts of any New Zealanders in the affected area.

The statement goes on to say "the well-being of just over 100 New Zealanders has been confirmed."

But it then refers to problems with communication networks including in Kathmandu being disrupted.

The statement concludes "this is hampering efforts contacting New Zealanders".

Do you know anyone in Nepal? Contact [email protected] to get in touch.

The worst damage was in Kathmandu, where the historic nine-storey Dharahara tower, a major tourist attraction, was among buildings brought down.

At least a dozen bodies were taken away from the ruins of the 19th-century tower, according to an AFP photographer, who saw similar scenes of multiple casualties throughout the city.

"It was difficult to breath, but I slowly moved the debris. Someone then pulled me out. I don't know where my friends are," Dharmu Subedi, 36, who was standing outside the tower when it collapsed, said from a hospital bed.

At least 42 people were known to have died in India, including 30 in the eastern state of Bihar, while buildings in the capital New Delhi had to be evacuated.

Meanwhile, China's official Xinhua news agency said 13 people were killed in the Tibet region.

The United States Geological Survey said the shallow quake struck 77 kilometres northwest of Kathmandu at 0611 GMT. Aftershock tremors could be felt more than two hours after the initial quake. USGS initially measured the quake at 7.5 magnitude and later adjusted it to 7.8, with a depth of 15 kilometres.

Facebook is doing its part to bring some reassurance to people following the quake.

The social network has launched a Nepal Earthquake Facebook Safety Check app.

Anyone with information on their friends in the area is urged to mark them safe if they know they are ok.

Those people's friends will then receive a notification, passing on the message that they are fine.

The Red Cross is preparing an international emergency response.

Volunteers and staff are already at work in Nepal, helping with search and rescue efforts.

The charity says it also has small stocks of emergency relief available, and ready to be distributed.

An appeal for donations is expected today.

 

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