Mourning Nepal marks first anniversary of deadly quake

People in Nepal have gathered in the capital Kathmandu, holding a candlelight vigil, to mark the first anniversary of a devastating earthquake that ripped through the Himalayan nation and killed thousands of people.

The Nepalese residents gathered Sunday in Durbar Square, a UNESCO-listed world heritage site, along with a dozen crimson-robed monks chanting from Buddhist scriptures at a memorial, as the grieving relatives of victims, sat in front of photos of their loved ones, praying.

On April 25, 2015, a 7.8-magnitude quake ravaged vast areas of Nepal, followed by a large number of aftershocks, the biggest of all, a 7.3-magnitude one that occurred on May 12.

In all, the seismic activities claimed the lives of nearly 9,000 people and inflicted injuries to 22,309 others. The quakes also demolished or damaged some 800,000 houses, mainly in the western and central districts, which left some 500,000 families desperate.

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