KATHMANDU: Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Tuesday appealed to international world for foreign supplies of tents and medicines adding that the death toll in earthquake could reach ten thousand.
Talking to a foreign news agency, the Nepalese PM said the government is doing all it can for rescue and relief on a war footing but it is a challenge.
A Home Ministry official put the latest death toll at 4,349. If the death toll does reach 10,000, that would be even higher than the 8,500 killed in a massive 1934 quake, the Himalayan nation’s worst disaster to date.
Koirala was outside the country when the 7.9-magnitude quake hit on Saturday. After he returned on Sunday issued orders to his government to improve coordination of the relief effort.
The PM will address the nation on Tuesday as well.
The government is receiving requests from across the country for help, he said. It had been unable to extend rescue efforts to several places due to a crunch of logistics and experts.
The prime minister added that the government was serious and sensitive about relief distribution and rehabilitation of the affected people.
The government was preparing to send tents, water, medicine, health workers and volunteers to the affected areas. Koirala also appealed to people to donate blood.
