Nepal toll crosses 3,200; thousands sleep in the open

Kathmandu, April 27, 2015: Hundreds of thousands of people spent a second night out in the open here and elsewhere in Nepal as the death toll in the devastating earthquake crossed 3,351 on Monday. More than 6,000 men, women and children have also been officially listed injured, many seriously, in the 7.9 magnitude quake that flattened several buildings and shrines in the Kathmandu Valley and nearby districts. An official admitted to IANS that there was no precise figure about the numbers taking shelter in relief centres but estimated that this could be as high as two million. Backed by international efforts, Nepal's soldiers, police personnel and rescuers battled against heavy odds to try rescue those who might still be trapped under debris -- and dig out the dead. The shortage of electricity since the Saturday temblor, the worst to hit Nepal after 1934, has compounded the crisis. Rameshwor Dangal, head of Nepal's disaster management division, put the latest death toll at 3,351 and said around 6,500 were injured. An official warned that the numbers were feared to go up further. Foreigners too have been badly hit. Authorities in Canberra said more than Over 300 Australians were still missing in Nepal. The cabinet has declared 29 out of 70 districts as crisis zones. The worst hit is the Kathmandu Valley, a tourist paradise.