Nepalese government declares state of emergency

A total of 2,500 persons lost their lives, over 6,000 others were wounded and the Nepalese government has declared a state of emergency. This was reported by Korean-language Chosun Ilbo this morning (9.35 am).

The Korean government has intially set aside US$1 million in an emergency aid to Nepal and is planing to send a rescue team to help rocover the victims from under the collapsed buildings. Korean Rescule Team, 119, is noted for its efficient rescue operations both in Korea and abroad.


The powerful earthquake, the country's worst in 80 years, rocked mountainous Nepal leveling buildings and centuries-old temples.
Hospitals in the capital of Katmandu were so crowded that many of the injured were treated outside in the open, according to local media. The magnitude-7.8 quake, which shook a wide swath of northern India, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan, also triggered avalanches in the Himalayas, killing at least 10 people on Mount Everest.
According to foreign news dispatches, city hospitals were quickly overwhelmed. Dozens were gathered in the parking lot of Norvic International Hospital, where thin mattresses were spread on the ground for patients rushed outside, some wearing hospital pajamas. A woman with a bandage on her head sat in a set of chairs pulled from the hospital waiting room. Doctors and nurses had hooked up some patients to IV drips in the parking lot, or were giving people oxygen.
The U.S. Geological Survey calls one of the most seismically hazardous regions on Earth. It is at the spot where the India plate collides with the Eurasia plate in a process that created the towering Himalayas.
The quake, which was felt as far away as Lahore in Pakistan, Lhasa in Tibet, and Dhaka, Bangladesh, was followed by about 15 aftershocks, including one registered at a magnitude of 6.6. At least 34 were killed in India, 12 in Tibet and two in Bangladesh. Two Chinese citizens died on the Nepal-China border.
The Republic of Korea (south) Government has made an emergency decision to send US$1 million and send a rescue team.
Numerous countries around the world pledged immediate aid and supplies. The U.S. Mission in Nepal released an initial US$1 million for immediate assistance. The embassy also said a U.S. search-and-rescue team is preparing to fly to Nepal. In addition, the U.S. Agency for International Development was sending a disaster assistance response team. India, Pakistan, China, France and Britain also said they would assist in the relief effort.
Within hours, an Indian Air Force C-130 landed at Katmandu's airport with 39 disaster relief workers and 3.5 metric tons of supplies, according to a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.


Many buildings collapsed in the center of the capital, the ancient Old Kathmandu, including centuries-old temples and towers. Among them was the Dharahara Tower, one of Katmandu's landmarks built by Nepal's royal rulers in the 1800s and a UNESCO-recognized historical monument. It was reduced to rubble and there were reports of people trapped underneath. The Katmandu Valley is densely populated with nearly 2.5 million people, and the quality of buildings is often poor.

Condolences regarding the devastating Earthquake at the Embassy of Nepal in Seoul

The Embassy of Nepal and I are deeply saddened by the news of the recent powerful earthquake that hit Nepal on the 25th of April 2015, 11:56 am local time. The earthquake badly jolted Nepal on Saturday morning many times, killing thousands of people across the nation. The epicenter was at Lamjung, Gorkha district of Nepal. The Embassy expresses its deepest condolences to the souls and family of the victims to this vicious calamity. In addition, I would also like to express my heartfelt sympathy towards people who are hurt or injured.


Furthermore, I would like to thank all the people for the support and prayers that they are sending in. I would also, like to humbly request the people of Korea, foreign nationals in Korea, and also the Nepalese living in Korea, to extend their help in any way possible. The damage has been extensive and the death tolls are rising. In these mournful situations, the Embassy doors are always open for people who want to extend their support.

Kaman Singh Lama

Ambassador of Nepal in Seoul

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