At least 37 people are already dead and more than 1,000 injured after another powerful earthquake struck Nepal and the Nepalese Home Ministry have said that that number is expected to rise.
The 7.3-magnitude quake happened at lunchtime on Tuesday – less than three weeks after the impoverished country was devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake which killed at least 8,000 people and injured more than 17,000.
Aid agencies are struggling to get reports from outside the capital of Kathmandu, and the quake’s epicentre was located between Kathmandu and Mount Everest.
In neighbouring India, at least 16 people have been confirmed dead after walls and rooftops collapsed – and Chinese media have reported one death in Tibet.
According to the US Geological Survey, there have been 10 strong aftershocks since – and two had magnitudes of 6.3 and 5.6.
This latest quake came from a depth of about 18.5km (11 miles).
In contrast, the more powerful earthquake on 25 April struck at 15km (9.3 miles) – and shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.
The quake lasted for about 40 seconds – and when it hit in the town of Chautara, which suffered the heaviest death toll in last month’s quake, hundreds ran into the streets.
There were similar scenes in the centre of Kathmandu, and one bystander, Dilip Dhakal, tweeted a photo as crowds began to form.
He said people were “panicked” and “some are crying and wailing”.
Sulav Singh, who ran into the street with his daughter, said: “I thought I was going to die this time. Things were just getting back to normal, and we get this one.”
