New Strong Earthquake Hits Nepal

A strong earthquake struck Nepal early Tuesday afternoon, shaking a country still dealing with a devastating quake that hit less than three weeks ago.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the new earthquake measured magnitude 7.4 with its center about 80 kilometers east of the capital, Kathmandu.

That is about 150 kilometers from the epicenter of a magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck on April 25, killing more than 8,000 people and leaving thousands homeless.

The government and aid agencies have been working to provide food, water and shelter in an operation that struggled in its early days because of aftershocks, bad weather and the challenge of reaching outlying areas in the Himalayan nation.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from Tuesday’s earthquake.

Last week, the United Nations said it had received only $22 million of the $415 million needed for the emergency response to last month’s earthquake.

Jamie McGoldrick, the U.N.’s chief official in Nepal, said donations for the humanitarian efforts in the impoverished Himalayan nation need to be “dramatically ramped up.”

McGoldrick said relief personnel are now working “so that people have roofs over their heads and their other urgent needs are addressed before the monsoon season starts.”

Monsoon rains usually start in June, triggering avalanches and flooding.

Source: voanews.com