MAY 13 (Reuters) — Nepalese woke up on Wednesday (May 13) after a night sleeping outdoors a day following a second powerful earthquake hit the Himalayan nation, bringing down buildings weakened by the first disaster and killing at least 66 people, including 17 in neighbouring India and one in Chinese Tibet.
A 7.3 earthquake shook the region on Tuesday (May 12), the strongest since a massive magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on April 25.
Most of the reported fatalities were in villages and towns east of Kathmandu, only just beginning to pick up the pieces from the April 25 quake that left more than 8,000 dead.
Some people had remained in tents in a field in central Kathmandu since the April 25 quake. Others had started returning to their homes.
However, after Tuesday’s quake they were back outdoors on fears that more seismic activity could happen.
“People, everybody is scared. Right now nobody stays in the house, everybody is on the road and there is a fright feel. They are sleeping in the… (tent). I don’t know what we have to do, it’s problem. Why is it happening like this?” said Pandap Rizal, whose house in Nuwakot District was seriously damaged.
Now the family of four and his neighbours are not sure how long they will stay in their tent in Kathmandu.
Another survivor from Sindhupalchok district, one of the worst hit area, travelled seven hours by road to find resources for his village.
Ravin Shrestha said only three out of about one hundred houses remained standing in his village, adding that the government has not given people there any help.
“Ya they did not (do) something still. But we hope that they will do something good. I think they are preserve their power and they will distribute some good things in our village we hope,” said Shrestha.
Over 8,000 people were killed and 17,800 were injured after the deadly earthquake last month.