The quake is Nepal's worst in 81 years, and was particularly destructive because its epicenter was shallow and about 50 miles east of the country's second-largest city, Pokhara. Reuters reported that it left cracks in roads and destroyed a 19th century tower in Kathmandu.
It comes at the start of the spring hiking and climbing season, and Reuters reported that an army mountaineering team from India had found 18 bodies on Mount Everest, following an avalanche that crushed the base camp, where more than 1,000 climbers were preparing their treks.
Mohan Krishna Sapkota, a tourism official, said it was "hard to even assess what the death toll and the extent of damage" around Everest could be, according to Reuters. "The trekkers are scattered all around the base camp and some had even trekked further up. It is almost impossible to get in touch with anyone."...
