KATHMANDU, Nepal
A strong aftershock hit Nepal on Sunday afternoon, the day after a powerful earthquake caused widespread damage and killed more than 1,800 people.
The 6.7-magnitude shock, 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of capital Kathmandu, struck at 12.54 p.m. local time (0809GMT) at a depth of 10 km, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, adding that such a shallow shock was likely to cause damage within a 50 km radius.
The death toll, confirmed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been rising steadily as emergency services dig out victims from the wreckage of collapsed buildings in the Kathmandu valley.
Nepalis have remained on edge following Saturday’s 7.8-magnitude quake that destroyed buildings, ripped up roads and set off avalanches in the Himalayas, including one that tore through the Mount Everest base camp.
The residents of densely-populated Kathmandu camped outside overnight for fear that strong tremors could cause more damage.
"We're just kind of recovering still, people are still uneasy about going back inside buildings," Rajeev Ravishankar, a Kathmandu-based journalist, said. "There have been a lot of aftershocks all throughout the night and even this morning."
Locals focused on gathering supplies although most shops remained closed, he added although some street vendors have been selling fruit.
"Some shops are open, kind of,” Ravishankar told The Anadolu Agency. "The problem is the damage, so you can kind of walk in and grab a few items like biscuits and stuff like that but it’s pretty minimal."
The earthquake, the worst to hit the Himalayan nation since 1934, destroyed many old buildings and ruptured roads while telephone and Internet communication was severely disrupted.
Images shared on social media showed the scale of the devastation.
"Most new high rises in #Kathmandu ok, old buildings down. Temples reduced to rubble," Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times newspaper, posted on Twitter. "Aftershocks were major jolts almost as severe as the main quake."
The historic 62-meter tall Dharahara tower in central Kathmandu was brought crashing down by the quake, with scores of people believed to be trapped under the rubble.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the news on Twitter: "We are in the process of finding more information and are working to reach out to those affected, both at home & in Nepal."
In a written statement issued Saturday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said some Turkish citizens in Nepal had been contacted. No Turkish casualties have been reported.
"Turkey offers its condolences to the Nepali people and government due to the losses in the earthquake and has launched efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Nepal," the statement said.
The Turkish Red Crescent dispatched an expert team from Pakistan and Bangladesh to the region and will initially send 1,000 blankets and hundreds of food packages.
Other Turkish aid agencies have sent a 65-strong search and rescue team under the coordination of the Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management.
In Washington D.C., the White House said the U.S. was deploying a team of disaster response experts and providing an initial $1 million in relief.
