Nepal quake: Death toll rises to over 5,000, over 8,000 injured

Over 5,000 people have so far lost their lives in earthquake-hit Nepal where the rescue operations are on in full swing with many Indian agencies, including the army, working hand-in-hand with the Nepali authorities to bring relief to the affected people. Over 8,000 people are reported to be injured

Scores of people are still trapped under tonnes of rubble in Kathmandu and some of the worst-affected remote mountainous areas.

Several people have been reported to be missing.

Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala had earlier on Tuesday declared three days of national mourning for the earthquake victims.

India has enlarged its relief and rescue operations in quake-hit Nepal. Defence Secretary R K Mathur yesterday said the Indian rescuers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Air Force planes have begun reaching areas beyond the Kathmandu Valley near Pokhara.

He said a total of 16 NDRF teams are now present in the Himalayan nation and were working in close coordination with Nepalese authorities.

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said it is expected that 100 more buses will go to Nepal from Uttar Pradesh today and after dropping relief material, they will carry passengers back.

He said that Indian engineering teams were working to keep the roads open and clear them from debris that fell in the aftermath of the shocks.

"Our hope is that from tomorrow onwards there is a greater share of road movement as opposed to only air movement. But of course the primary relief and rescue effort would continue to be by air," he said.

Earlier on Sunday, fresh tremors were felt across India's northern belt after another earthquake of 6.7 magnitude hit the east of Kathmandu.

A massive earthquake of 7.9 magnitude had struck Nepal, earlier on Saturday, resulting in thousands of deaths.

The calamity, one of the worst in over 80 years, was followed by 55 aftershocks.