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Nepal earthquake: Death toll from magnitude 7.3 quake rises to 96 with thousands more injured

The Himalayan nation is still reeling from the aftermath of a devastating 7.8 magnitude quake

Roisin O'Connor
Thursday 14 May 2015 03:04 EDT
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A woman walks past the rubble of destroyed buildings following a second major earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal
A woman walks past the rubble of destroyed buildings following a second major earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal (Jonas Gratzer/Getty Images)

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The death toll from the second earthquake to strike Nepal in less than three weeks has risen to at least 96, emergency officials have said.

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake caused buildings to collapse and triggered landslides in Nepal, India and Tibet on 12 May, injuring over 2,300.

The Himalayan nation is still reeling from the aftermath of a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake which shook the area on 25 April.

More than 8,000 people have died and almost 20,000 are reported to be injured from the first disaster.

British Chinook helicopters sent to help the relief effort were prevented from entering the country on Wednesday over claims their powerful propellers could blow roofs off and smash windows.

Instead of helping international aid workers get to the thousands of displaced Nepalis, the helicopters were left stranded in Delhi along with around 100 military air crew, engineers and support staff.

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Thousands are still missing following the two quakes, and it is feared that the death toll could reach 10,000.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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