ASIA

Strong earthquake hits Nepal, reports of damage in capital Kathmandu

A powerful earthquake has struck in Nepal, put at a magnitude of 7.9 by the US Geological Survey. The epicenter was to the west and north of Kathmandu, with early reports of some buildings collapsing in the capital.

People took refuge in public places after the quake; in this case, at a Kathmandu school

The earthquake struck roughly half-way between Pokhara and the capital Kathmandu. Communication lines were damaged by the powerful tremor, initially put at magnitude 7.5 by the United States Geological Survey. The USGS later revised this figure up to 7.9, with such readjustments common in the moments after earthquakes.

Early witness reports suggested that many buildings sustained damage in Kathmandu, people as far away as New Delhi and the northern Indian city of Kolkatta reported to have felt tremors afterwards.

Journalist Guna Raj Luitel shared an image on Twitter after the quake from Kathmandu, saying he was just able to get to safety.

Nepalese Information Minister Minendra Rijal told India's NDTV station that there were reports of damage but no word on casualties; he said rescue teams were on the scene. NDTV also reported that the city's Tribhuvan International Airport was closed to traffic because of damages.

The tremor hit at 11:55 a.m. local time (0611 GMT/UTC). The USGS estimated its depth at 15 kilometers (9.3 miles).

Five more aftershocks, the largest of magnitude 6.6, were registered in the hour following the initial quake by the USGS. National radio in Nepal warned people to stay outdoors and maintain calm because more aftershocks were feared.

Nepal's Kathmandu Valley lies on a major fault line. A 1934 quake - of magnitude 8.4 - destroyed more than 80,000 buildings and claimed around 8,500 lives, according to the UN. Nowadays, Kathmandu is a far more densely populated region, home to around 2.5 million people. Many buildings in the region are of poor quality.

Nepalese annual GDP per capita in 2013 was put at $694 (638 euros) by the World Bank - or less than $2 a day.

More to follow...

msh/gsw (AFP, AP, Reuters)