Nepal quake: ‘No chance’ to find more Survivors

Nepal’s authorities have ruled out finding more survivors of last week’s earthquake under the rubble, as the death toll rises to 6,621.

“We are trying our best in rescue and relief work but now I don’t think that there is any possibility of survivors,” Home Ministry spokesman Laxmi Prasad Dhakal told AFP.

Nepal said 14,021 people were injured in the 7.9 magnitude quake on Saturday.

The fate of thousands of people in remote areas remains unknown.

The death toll could go up, as search and rescue efforts are still continuing in several hill districts including Dhading, Rasuwa and Sindhupalchok, relief co-ordinator Hemanta Pal said.

While the vast majority of casualties were in Nepal, about 100 people are reported to have died in neighbouring India, Tibet, and Bangladesh.

The EU envoy to Nepal, Rensje Teerink, said on Friday that the whereabouts of 1,000 EU citizens was still unknown.

Nepal has repeatedly called for more foreign help and humanitarian aid, admitting it was ill-prepared for the disaster.

Landslides and poor weather have hampered efforts to deliver aid to isolated districts, and there are only about 20 helicopters available for the rescue and relief operations.

The country’s Information Minister, Minendra Rijal told the Associated Press news agency that Nepal needed 400,000 tents but so far had only been able to hand out 29,000.

Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat said the country needed better food aid. “We have received things like tuna fish and mayonnaise. What good are those things for us? We need grains, salt and sugar,” Mr Mahat told AP.

Nepal is also yet to receive tens of millions of dollars pledged by foreign donors, Mr Mahat said.

“Not a single dollar has been deposited into government accounts,” he said.

“So, I don’t say that it will not come. It will take some time but as of now the government’s entire operation is entirely funded by the government’s own internal resources.”

Source: BBC News