Nepal earthquake: Prachanda meets affected people as death count crosses 152

The Nepali Congress party has also announced Rs 5 million in financial support to the government to help in the search, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts.

After Friday's earthquake, many people spent the night in the open because of fear of further quakes and damage to their houses. People were seen digging through the rubble in the dark to rescue trapped people from the remains of collapsed buildings, according to posts on social media.

The impact of the quake was felt in Kathmandu and surrounding districts, and even in New Delhi in neighbouring India. The Nepal Army mobilised its personnel Friday soon after the earthquake to carry out rescue works at the incident site, according to Nepal Army spokesperson Krishna Prasad Bhandari.

Friday's earthquake is the most devastating one in the country since the 2015 earthquake that killed around 9,000 people in the country and injured more than 22,000 people.

Troops were clearing roads and mountain trails that were blocked by landslides triggered by the earthquake. Helicopters flew in medical workers and medicines to the hospitals there.

Authorities said the death toll was expected to rise, noting that communications were cut off with many places. At the regional hospital in the city of Nepalgunj, more than 100 beds were made available and teams of doctors stood by to help the injured.

The death toll in the 6.4 magnitude earthquake stands at 154.

At least 154 people lost their lives and dozens more sustained injuries as a strong earthquake jolted the northwestern Nepal districts on Friday (November 3) midnight, according to officials. 92 people died in Jajarkot while 62 in Rukum West.

Three helicopters have been made ready to fly to the earthquake affected areas carrying medical teams and medicines. These helicopters will be sent from Kathmandu as soon as the weather opens, the officials said. Jajarkot Deputy Mayor Sarita Singh died in earthquake.

Visuals from Bheri, Jajarkot show the extent of damage to the region as a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit.

According to the official, security personnel were engaged in the rescue operation along with the villagers in the darkness to pull the dead and injured from the debris. However, he added that reaching some spots was difficult because some of the trails were blocked by landslides triggered by the tremor and its aftershocks. Earthquakes are common in mountainous Nepal. In 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake claimed nearly 9,000 lives and damaged about 1 million structures.

Bheri Hospital, Kohalpur Medical College, Nepalgunj military hospital and Police Hospital have been made dedicated hospital for the earthquake-affected. All heli-operators in Nepal have been told to be on standby and and regular flight movement has been suspended to facilitate the airlifting of injured from affected areas. Instructions have been given to station an ambulance at Nepalgunj Airport and military barrack helipad, Nepal officials said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended condolences and said that India is ready to extend assistance to Nepal in the hour of crisis.