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Death toll from fresh quake in Nepal hits 81

Wednesday, 13 May 2015 10:24 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 13 May 2015 10:24 AM ]

A Nepalese resident sits inside a makeshift shelter following an earthquake in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu on May 13, 2015. ©AFP

The death toll from a second strong earthquake in Nepal has risen to 81 as rescue operations continue to help the victims.

On Tuesday, an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit Nepal days after another tremor left a trail of destruction and high casualties in the South Asian country.

At least 65 people were killed in Nepal following Tuesday’s earthquake, which also injured nearly 2,000 others.

Nepalese residents carry away belongings amidst rubble following an earthquake in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu on May 13, 2015. ©AFP

The quake has also triggered landslides that blocked roads, toppled buildings, and slowed the delivery of relief aid.

Nepalese officials on Wednesday issued an evacuation order, calling for people to leave damaged buildings.

Nepalese and Indian Army rescue officials search through rubble in the quake-damaged area of Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu on May 13, 2015. ©AFP

The Tuesday quake, centered between the capital Kathmandu and Mount Everest, hit hardest in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The quake comes less than three weeks from a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 8,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes in Nepal. The devastating temblor also killed more than 100 people in India and China.

Nepalese residents search for belongings amidst rubble following an earthquake in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu on May 13, 2015. ©AFP

The toll from the Tuesday quake is, however, expected to rise as many are feared to have been buried under rubble, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Casualties from the Tuesday quake were also reported in neighboring India with at least 16 people confirmed dead after rooftops or walls collapsed onto them.

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