Nepal earthquake death toll reaches 160
An overnight earthquake in a remote area of Nepal has left at least 160 people dead, with security forces rushing to aid in the rescue efforts, according to officials.
The powerful 5.6-magnitude tremor shook households awake and flattened mud houses in isolated western districts of the Himalayan nation late on Friday.
Shiva Prasad Sharma, a 65-year-old resident of Jajarkot, the worst-hit district, described the terrifying experience, saying, 'There was a very big noise when the houses came down. It felt like a big explosion. I thought we were going to die. No one has anything left. There are no houses left to stay in.'
Local residents frantically worked in the dark to dig through the rubble to rescue survivors from the collapsed homes and buildings, while others sought safety outdoors.
The quake's impact extended as far as India's capital, New Delhi, located nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the earthquake's epicenter.
According to national police spokesman Kuber Kathayat, the death toll from the earthquake has reached 157, with 105 in Jajarkot and 52 in Rukum. Additionally, 199 people were injured in the quake.