Nepal battles with recovery from hostile quake

0
Nepal

by Zhang Ning, Xing Peiyu

People in different parts of the earthquake-rattled Nepal have been struggling to restore their lives, as the Himalayan country remains in deep sorrow and mourning. Nepal
Nearly 90 percent of residential buildings in Sankhu, a town in the worst-hit Kathmandu Valley some 20 km east of the capital, were destroyed or damaged by the 7.9-magnitude earthquake on April 25.
Flattened brick buildings and piles of rubble were seen on Tuesday from the arched gateway of the tiny town.
Residents were anxiously watching foreign rescuers pull buried bodies from the debris, 10 days after the devastating earthquake.
More than 100 people were found dead in the town with a population of more than 2,000.Hundreds were seen queuing outside a massive tent, awaiting their lunch of rice and potato curry.
Some scavenged the debris for what might be used at their makeshift tents, a common scene in the aftermath of the disaster.
Vegetables and fruits were sold again in the town, bringing hope to the miserable people.
“I am scared with the building with cracks on wall, but I have to earn the bread for the family,” Bal Kumar Shrestha, a 32-year- old store owner selling electronics gadgets, told Xinhua.
He spent the night in a tent instead of the bedroom on the second floor of his now damaged house.
Outside the town, farmers were seen harvesting wheat and potato, hopefully to spare people from starvation.
In the capital of Kathmandu, shops in the less-affected districts reopened and local inhabitants were seen sit on the sidewalks sipping tea.
At the Durbar Square in downtown Kathmandu, 200 people were living in tents despite shortage of drinking water and sanitation.
Clusters of buildings in and around the landmark square have been the scene of miraculous rescue operations.
Death toll of the powerful earthquake has climbed to 7,557 and the number of injuries reached 14,536 across the nation.
The recovery will be by no means an easy task as people in severely-affected districts are still waiting for more supplies. Enditem

Source: Xinhua

Send your news stories to [email protected] Follow News Ghana on Google News

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here