The relative of a CGTN camera operator captured their heart-wrenching efforts to rescue trapped family members after Friday’s earthquake in Nepal. The 6.4 magnitude quake left over 153 people dead and more than 339 injured in the Jajarkot region, according to revised figures, as houses in the area collapsed and buildings as far away as New Delhi in neighbouring India shook.
WATCH: Nepal family rescue efforts
The quake was 5.6 and occurred in Jajarkot district of Karnali province. The tremors were felt in neighbouring districts and as far away as the national capital of Kathmandu. The earthquake caused houses to collapse, and people rushed out of their homes.
The quake was followed by three more tremors within an hour, and many people spent the rest of the night in the open because of fear of further quakes and damage to their houses.
Nepal is situated along the Himalayas, with a lot of seismic activity. Earthquakes are not only common in Nepal, but the country has a history of devastating earthquakes.
In April 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring more than 22,000. Whole towns, centuries-old temples and other historic sites were reduced to rubble then, with more than a million houses destroyed, at a cost to the economy of $6 billion.
*Additional reporting by Reuters.
