At least 19 dead as fresh quake strikes Nepal

Kathmandu: A powerful earthquake in Nepal killed at least 19 people and injured hundreds on Tuesday, as buildings that were weakened by a devastating quake less than three weeks ago collapsed.

The toll included five people who died in Sindhupalchowk, the district to the east of Kathmandu that reported the most deaths in the April 25 shaker, district administrator Krishna Gwayali said. He said the deaths were on a highway towards Tibet.

Six more were killed in Dolakha district close to the epicentre, an eyewitness said, adding that rescuers were trying to reach three people trapped in a house. In Kathmandu three people died, a police official said.

In India, at least five people were killed when buildings collapsed. One man was killed by falling rocks in Tibet.

Our Nepal Correspondent Damakant Jayshi adds:

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake registered 7.4 on the Richter scale, occurred at 12.45 pm (local time). The ground shook like a wave for at least 25 seconds. The USGS said the epicentre was 22 km sout-east of Zham, China. The USGS map shows the epicentre well within Nepal's border. It's now confirmed that the epicentre in Nepal was Namchebazar, gateway to Everest Base Camp.

According to Nepal TV, the government has extended the closure of educational institutions by another two weeks. They had been ordered shut after April 25 and a review was to be taken on May 14, the last day of the Nepali month of Baisakh.

The April 25 quake killed more than 8000 people and left more than 17,000 injured.