Nepal was still reeling from the devastation unleashed by the earthquake of 25 April – in which according to official figures, over 8,000 people lost their lives and nearly 18,000 were injured – when it suffered another massive jolt on 12 May. Over a hundred were reportedly killed and more than one thousand people injured in the recent earthquake. While strong tremors have continued since 25 April, the earthquake that struck on 12 May is estimated at 7.3 on Richter’s scale. With its epicenter in Dolakha, this severe jolt caused destruction, and generated fear and anxiety in the already traumatized Himalayan country.
“This latest earthquake was almost as strong as the last one and caused a huge amount of fear and panic,” said Laetitia Courtois, ICRC’s deputy head of operations for South Asia.
“We have had landslides, avalanches and additional damage in already fragile areas. Families are sleeping on the streets again. This is a real tragedy for the people of Nepal who are already suffering immensely,” she further added.
According to statistics provided by Nepali authorities, on 13 May, there were about 8,200 deaths and 17,800 injuries, while over 7,941 bodies have been handed over to the respective relatives.
Since the 25 April earthquake, the ICRC delegation in Nepal has been supporting the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) in its response to the escalating needs of families and communities. The ICRC has deployed a specialist who is part of the Field Assessment Coordination Team (FACT) to help in the restoration of links between family members affected by the disaster and so far, 44 volunteers from 13 districts have been mobilized by the NRCS to help undertake this task. Teams have visited 19 hospitals, 11 camps for those displaced and two children’s homes in order to put families back in touch with each other. The teams are trying to collect messages by which survivors can indicate to loved ones that they are safe and well, provide phone services and register missing persons. It should be mentioned that some remote areas are still inaccessible due to weather conditions, landslides and avalanches and so the casualty figures are likely to increase.
The family links website http://familylinks.icrc.org/nepal-earthquake that was launched after the first earthquake on the 25 April 2015 remains active. It is in English and Nepalese languages.
Read more:
As Earthquakes Continue to Hit South Asia, Experts Review Emergency Preparedness & Response
Nepal Red Cross Volunteers at the Heart of Movement’s Response
Ensuring Families are able to Perform Last Rites for their Loved Ones
ICRC Head of South Asia Region in Nepal to Strengthen Red Cross Movement’s Response