Six dead after powerful earthquake hits Nepal, rattles New Delhi

Agencies |Kathmandu

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck Nepal, killing at least six people, destroying multiple houses in the western district of Doti and shaking the Indian capital New Delhi.

Five other people were seriously injured as eight houses collapsed, said Doti's deputy superintendent of police, confirming an earlier figure shared by home ministry official, according to Reuters.

Local media showed visuals of mud and brick houses destroyed by the quake and rescuers digging through the rubble to look for survivors. At least two people are reported missing, said Nepali army spokesman.

Nepal is still rebuilding after two major earthquakes in 2015 killed almost 9,000 people, destroyed whole towns and centuries-old temples and caused a $6 billion blow to the economy.

A ground rescue team of the Nepali army has been rushed to the site, said spokesman Silwal, and two helicopters were on stand by in nearby Surkhet and Nepalgunj towns.

Nepal's seismological centre set the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.6. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) had pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.6.

The quake was centred about 158 km (100 miles) northeast of Pilibhit, a populous city in the neighbouring Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and occurred at a depth of 10 km, EMSC added.

Media reports after the quake showed tremors were also felt in New Delhi and surrounding areas, some 350km (220 miles) from Doti.