Catastrophic 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Nepal

Samaritan's Purse | Updated: Apr 25, 2015

Catastrophic 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Nepal

Samaritan's Purse is preparing a response to the disastrous quake...

A catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal Saturday, killing hundreds of people and destroying numerous houses and buildings.

At least 876 people are known to have died, and the death toll is expected to rise as officials dig through the rubble.

The quake struck an area between the capital, Kathmandu, and the city of Pokhara, the US Geological Survey said. Tremors were felt across the region, with further loss of life in India, Bangladesh and on Mount Everest.

Samaritan’s Purse ministry partners are in Nepal, assessing the damage. An Incident Management Team at our international headquarters in North Carolina is gathering information on the extent of the damage and formulating a response.

We will be deploying a disaster response team and expect to be helping victims with emergency shelter, water, and hygiene kits.

The earthquake collapsed houses, leveled centuries-old temples and triggered avalanches in the Himalayas. It was the worst temblor to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years.

The quake struck before noon time and was most severely felt in the capital as well as the densely populated Kathmandu Valley. A magnitude-6.6 aftershock hit about an hour later, and smaller aftershocks continued to ripple through the region for hours.

Please pray for everyone affected by the earthquake, for those who have lost loved ones, and for families whose homes have been destroyed. Pray that God will grant wisdom as Samaritan’s Purse determines how to respond, and that our work will convey the love of Christ.

Visit samaritanspurse.org to contribute to relief efforts.

More:

 

BBC: Nepal earthquake: Hundreds die, many feared trapped

 

USA Today: 5 things to know about the Nepal earthquake



Catastrophic 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Nepal