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Nepal earthquake death toll continues to rise, Everest disaster area

The death toll continues to rise in the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday and passes 3200, with more than 6000 people injured. The avalanche that struck Everest base camp is said to have caused at least 18 deaths. Four Italian speleologists are feared missing from the village of Langtang; Giuseppe Pino Antonini, Gigliola Mancinelli, Oskar Piazza and Giovanni Pizzorni.

Planetmountain

April 2015

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The dramatic moment the avalanche hit Everest Base Camp, filmed by German alpinist Jost Kobusch

Jost Kobusch

The number of victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday morning continues to rise dramatically. According to the latest official toll, unfortunately still only provisional,, the two tremors (the first of magnitude 7.9 on the Richter scale) caused the death of over 3,200 people and injured 6000 in Nepal, India, Tibet and Bangladesh. At Everest Base Camp, struck by avalanches that descended from Pumori, many international sources have cited at least 18 or 20 victims, with 61 injured and an unspecified number of people missing.

The situation up on the mountain continues to be dramatic, too, with over 100 climbers reputed to be stuck at Camps 1 and 2 as the route through the Khumbu Icefall was completely devastated by the avalanches and serac collapses caused by earthquakes.

Unfortunately bad weather has made rescue operations extremely difficult both at Everest and throughout the rest of country. Many villages are still isolated and, given the lack of roads, it will take a long time for the final toll to be determined. And to make matters worse, an intense after shock was registered this morning that reached magnitude 6.6 on the Richter scale.

The small trekking village of Langtang has been seriously hit by an avalanche that has killed more than 100 people. Unfortunately four Italian speleologists were operating in the area and Giuseppe Pino Antonini, Gigliola Mancinelli, Oskar Piazza and Giovanni Pizzorni are currently feared missing. All four are highly experienced cavers and mountaineers, while Oskar Piazza is one of the best known members of the Trentino Mountain Rescue squad.

In the meantime the international aid agencies have mobilized, but the current situation is extremely serious and difficult. Supplies of almost everything are low or completely lacking: drinking water, food, medications... UNICEF has stated that at least 940,000 children are in urgent need of assistance.

Published below is the video filmed by German mountaineer Jost Kobusch that documents the terrifying moment the avalanche hit Everest Base Camp.

Jost Kobusch

NEPAL EARTHQUAKE
28/04/2015 - Nepal earthquake: how to help the relief efforts
27/04/2014 - Oskar Piazza, Gigliola Mancinelli, Renzo Benedetti and Marco Pojer perish
25/04/2014 - Earthquake devastates Nepal
Two earthquakes measuring up to 7.9 hit Nepal this morning causing, according to some sources, over 1,000 deaths. Even the highest mountains in the world trembled and an avalanche that swept through Everest Base Camp has caused an unknown number of deaths.