129 killed as massive earthquake hits Nepal

At least 129 people have been confirmed dead, and over 140 others were injured as a powerful earthquake struck Nepal late on Friday night.

The epicentre of the 5.6 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 18 kilometres was the remote Jajarkot district in western Nepal.

The earthquake hit at 11:47 pm local time when most residents were sleeping.

The quake’s impact was felt in Kathmandu and surrounding districts and even in New Delhi in neighbouring India.

At least four aftershocks with more than 4 magnitude hit Jajarkot after the quake.

The Jajarkot and Rukum districts of western Nepal were worst hit by the quake, according to state-run Nepal Television.

In Jajarkot district, where 92 people were confirmed dead and another 55 injured, the worst affected areas are Bheri, Nalgad, Kushe, Barekot and Chedagad.

As the roads were blocked and bridges damaged, rescue and relief works on the incident site have been obstructed, according to officials.

All three security agencies, the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, have been mobilised for rescue works.

As the search and rescue operations in the quake-hit areas continue on Saturday morning, the death toll is expected to increase.

Earthquakes are common in mountainous Nepal. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015 killed some 9,000 people and damaged about 1 million structures._Agencies