At least six people have been killed as an earthquake measuring 6.6 on the richter scale hit Nepal early on Wednesday. According to officials, multiple houses were destroyed in the western district of Doti close to towns with significant populations.
Five other people were seriously injured as eight houses collapsed, according to Bhola Bhatta, deputy superintendent of police in Doti.
Mr Bhatta’s figures confirmed an earlier figure shared by by home ministry official Tulsi Rijal.
Nepal is still rebuilding following two devastating earthquakes in 2015 which killed almost 9,000 people and caused $6billion damage.
Narayan Silwal a spokesman for the Nepali army a ground rescue team was rushed to the site.
Two helicopters were also on stand by in the nearby towns of Surkhet and Nepalgunj.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) initially claimed that the quake had a magnitude of 5.6.
However, Nepal’s seismological centre claimed that quake had a 6.6 magnitude.
The centre of the earthquake was 158 km (100 miles) northeast of Pilibhit a large city in the neighbouring Indian state of Uttar Pradesh according to the EMSC.
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