Last Update: from me for now--have to start my day. There's really nothing good coming out of this, except that the epicenter wasn't actually IN Kathmandu or Pokhara. Death toll is currently over 700, including fatalities in India and Bangladesh, and reports of damage in China (Tibet) as well. 8 climbers have been reported killed at or near Everest Base Camp, while the higher camps haven't been directly affected people are stranded as a major route has been destroyed. Structural damage in Kathmandu is extensive, including monuments/temples in Durbar Square. I'll try to check back in a while.
This seems to be a bad one, unfortunately.
7.9 Earthquake between Kathmandu and Pokhara at 11:56 am local time. Shallow depth--15 km (I had previously stated 2km which isn't accurate). This would be the worst quake in the region since 1934.
Shakemap from USGS.
Reuters is reporting 36 fatalities at the moment but there are accounts of heavy of damage in Kathmandu, and the earthquake could be felt as far as Delhi. Sadly this is the kind of situation where the toll will rise dramatically as resources become available, and teams are able to penetrate hard-to-reach areas, or outlying regions.
Reports I'm seeing on Twitter suggest that Durbar Square in Kathmandu has been heavily damaged, but no confirmation yet.
BBC
I've also seen reports that there have been avalanches on Everest and Base camps 1 and 2 have sustained damage. I DON"T KNOW if Base camp one is the same that all the trekkers end up at, or the next one up.
Anyway, Nepal is an extremely poor country, with extreme crowding, poorly constructed buildings and little recourse for many people. I'm looking for hotline numbers and will post when I see them.
There are any number of twitter accounts where you can get up-to-date information--I've just been using NepalEarthquake for now.
Also live updates from The Guardian (thanks DRo)
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Enquiry: Hotline Numbers:
For U.S. citizens in Nepal
+977 1 423 4068
Here's numbers in India (Ministry of External Affairs has posted this)
+91 11 2301 2113
+91 11 2301 4104
+91 11 2301 7905
How to Help: SHELTERBOX Diary is here:
Shelterbox
3:09 AM PT: update: 11 fatalities also reported in India, 6 in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
3:50 AM PT: update: death toll from Reuters is 449 from one report. Although USGS estimates suggest that the final toll could be in the tens of thousands. USGS
5:02 AM PT: update: the historic Dharara tower in Kathmandu, built in the 19th century, has collapsed with possibly around 100 people inside at the time.