Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that he is "deeply saddened" by the loss of lives and damage due to the powerful earthquake in Nepal. After the magnitude 6.4 earthquake, that struck a remote region of Nepal late Friday and killed at least 128 people, PM Modi said that India "stands in solidarity" with the people of Nepal.
"Deeply saddened by loss of lives and damage due to the earthquake in Nepal. India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is ready to extend all possible assistance. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and we wish the injured a quick recovery," he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, and tagged his Nepali counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.
The earthquake in Nepal occurred at 1802 GMT on Friday with a magnitude of 6.4, the country's National Seismological Centre said.
Officials feared the death count in the earthquake, tremors of which were also felt in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, could rise as they had not been able to establish contact in the hilly area near the epicentre in Jajarkot.\
The earthquake's epicentre in Nepal was in the village of Ramidanda.
At least 92 people were killed in Jajarkot, while 36 died in neighbouring Rukum West district, both in Karnali province. At least 55 people were injured in Jajarkot, and 85 people sustained injuries in Rukum West.
Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal flew to the area early on Saturday with a 16-member army medical team to oversee search, rescue and relief.
The earthquake is said to be the deadliest since 2015 when about 9,000 people were killed in two earthquakes in Nepal.
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