Earthquake strikes Nepal, over 100 dead

More than 100 people have been killed after an earthquake struck remote western Nepal on Friday.

Security forces have been deployed to help rescue efforts in the rugged districts of Jajarkot and Rukum, 500km (310 miles) west of Kathmandu.

Strong tremors were felt far away in the Nepalese capital and in cities in neighbouring India, including Delhi.

The army spokesman said more than 100 people had been injured. Jajarkot's hospital is packed with the wounded.

Three more tremors were felt within an hour of the quake, and many people have spent the rest of the night in the open because of fear of further quakes and damage to their houses.

Video footage on local media showed crumbled facades of multi-storied brick houses. People were pictured digging through rubble in the dark to pull survivors from the remains of collapsed buildings in posts on social media.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has left for the quake-affected region, according to reports.

The earthquake was recorded at 23:47 local time (18:02 GMT), according to Nepal's Monitoring and Research Centre.

The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.6, and said it was a shallow earthquake, meaning it happened closer to the earth's surface.

(BBC)