Post-quake renovations begin in Nepal; toll nears 7,700

Nepal today mounted post-quake renovation works as it declared the Rastrapati Bhawan and thousands of buildings and homes unsafe for use after the devastating temblor that killed at least 7,652 people.
Eighty personnel of India's National Disaster Response Force, which had the largest presence in Nepal after the country faced its worst disaster in over 80 years, today left the Himalayan nation, Director of the Public Relations department of Nepal Army Brig. Jagdish Chandra Pokhrel said.
Twenty-one Thai personnel, including four from the medical team, have also left, two days after Nepal asked rescue teams from India and 33 other countries to leave.

Officials had said the Nepalese army and police "would now be taking over from the foreign teams" and that the exercise of foreign rescue teams leaving Nepal would be in a phased manner.
Meanwhile, the death toll due to the April 25 earthquake has reached 7,652 so far while the number of injured has shot up to 16,390, the Home Ministry said today.
Sindhupalchowk district is the worst-hit with a total death toll of 2,939 while 1,209 died in Kathmandu.

Over 2,000 engineers were deployed voluntarily to check safety of houses here in the aftermath of the temblor and have checked over 13,000 buildings so far, including the Rastrapati Bhawan.

The rear part of the presidential mansion, popularly known as 'Sheetal Niwas', has been declared unsafe and should now be demolished and rebuilt.
President Ram Baran Yadav has moved to a safer place. He had stayed in makeshift tents for six days after cracks appeared on the residence due to the temblor that also damaged Prime Minister Sushil Koirala's home.
Of the checked houses, 50 per cent are suitable for residing, 20-25 per cent are unsuitable and remaining others need renovations.
A total of 2,79,234 houses have been completely damaged and 237,068 partially damaged, according to the Ministry.