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US helicopter missing in Nepal after massive earthquake that killed dozens

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said there were no reports or suggestions of any Irish casualties.

Updated 9.10pm

Nepal Earthquake File photo Niranjan Shrestha / PA Niranjan Shrestha / PA / PA

A US MARINE Corps helicopter, carrying out earthquake relief in Nepal has been reported missing today.

Six marines and two Nepalise soldiers were on board at the time, officials said.

An aircraft search had spotted no sign of smoke or a crash site by nightfall, raising hopes the helicopter may have made a safe emergency landing, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren said.

Nepal Earthquake Rescue workers inspect the site where buildings collapsed in the earthquake in Kathmandu today. Bikram Rai / PA Bikram Rai / PA / PA

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Nepal this morning – just over two weeks after more than 8,000 people were killed in April’s quake.

Officials in Nepal said at least 48 people were killed while 17 people also died across the border in northern India, most in the state of Bihar. More than 1,100 people were also injured.

Nepal Earthquake A Nepalese victim of today's earthquake rests at Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. Niranjan Shrestha / PA Niranjan Shrestha / PA / PA

The tremors struck at 12:35pm local time in the Himalayan nation – some 76 km east of Kathmandu, close to Mount Everest. The latest quake hit at a depth of 15 km, according to the US Geological Survey.

A spokesperson for Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said it was in ongoing contact with citizens remaining in Nepal that there were no reports or suggestions of any Irish casualties.

centre A map from the USGS showing the epicentre of the quake.

Another 5.6-magnitude aftershock hit minutes later in Nepal, according to the USGS.

An emergency worker in Kathmandu, speaking to Sky News in the immediate aftermath of today’s initial tremors, said it was “very distressing”. The new quake lasted “20 to 30 seconds” in the Nepalese capital, Olle Castell of Plan UK said.

The country is still struggling to recover from the earthquake on April 25 that killed more than 8,150 people and injured more than 17,860 as it flattened mountain villages and destroyed buildings.

Footage also emerged of members of parliament in Kathmandu fleeing the chamber as the quake struck.

‘Significant’

Concern’s Ross O’Sullivan, speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning from a location close to Nepal, said the latest quake had been “fairly significant”.

He said that while locals had experienced tremors daily in recent weeks it hadn’t been “anything that had anyone running out of doors”

This one was “a biggie,” he added.

The latest quake, O’Sullivan said, had started off as a”low rumbling” before buildings started shaking. “Everyone got outdoors. Everyone is fearful, as you can imagine.” 

“Only in the last few days people have started to feel safe to go back inside. This is going to put the fear of God once more into them.”

Landslide

The Red Cross said it had received reports of large-scale casualties in the town of Chautara in Sindhupalchowk, where its Norwegian branch is running a field hospital.

“Hundreds of people are pouring in. They are treating dozens for injuries and they have performed more than a dozen surgeries,” said spokeswoman Nichola Jones.

An emergency tent hospital in Tatopani near the Chinese border run by the Canadian Red Cross had been damaged by a landslide, she said.

There have been several reports of landslides in the worst-hit areas, making the task of getting relief to remote communities in the mountainous country even more difficult.

Niranjan Shrestha / PA Niranjan Shrestha / PA / PA

Regine Kopplow, a German aid worker who was in the Dolakha district headquarters of Charikot when the latest quake hit, saw huge dust clouds rise into the air as buildings collapsed.

“I saw a woman in the building opposite jump from the third floor who suffered injuries to her leg, elbow and hand,” said Kopplow, who works for Concern Worldwide.

“People stayed outside, the shaking continued. Some people were crying, hugging each other and sitting on the ground supporting each other.”

 

Nepal Earthquake Nepalese people gather in the middle of a road during the quake - in Bhaktapur. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Oxfam’s Colm Byrne, who’s also in Nepal, said people were shocked and scared after the quake.

“I am in a rural area and felt the quake in Janakpur but it’s too early to know how bad it’s been for others,” he said – adding that the charity would assess the damage caused.

The owner of a craft shop in Kathmandu told the Reuters news agency the earthquake was a “really big one”.

Tremors

Indian channel NDTV was broadcasting live from New Delhi when the earthquake hit – and TV cameras picked up some of tremors (below). The host said the “entire studio” was shaking – adding that the quake could be felt “quite strongly” in the area.

NDTV / YouTube

Other cities in northern India were also rocked, including Bihar where television footage showed residents gathering on the streets and goods having toppled over in shop windows.

A Chinese official at the Tibet regional seismological bureau said there had been reports of damage but no casualties.

“Today’s aftershock was felt strongly in Zhangmu town of Shigatse city,” the official who gave his name as Chen told AFP.

“According to local government, some houses damaged by the previous earthquake collapsed. Since residents were transferred to safe areas last time and are still living in tents, no casualties have been reported so far.”

Includes reporting from the AFP wire and Michelle Hennessy.

Read: 101-year-old man pulled from rubble alive is surprised he survived second Nepal quake

Read: ‘The avalanche just missed us’: Irish home safe after Nepal earthquake

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28 Comments
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    Mute P O Leary.
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    May 12th 2015, 8:50 AM

    For all this little country’s faults it’s things Like this that make us realize how lucky we are in this part of the world. No earthquakes, active volcanos, tornados,typhoons, hurricanes etc. Not even a wild animal capable of hurting us in the countryside.

    It must be a terrifying experience to feel a quake that big.

    577
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    Mute Bill
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    May 12th 2015, 9:01 AM

    Sad to read and yes we are very lucky where we live, not meaning to trivialise it but our biggest threat to the country is if Fianna Fáil ever get into power her again

    75
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    Mute Veronica
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    May 12th 2015, 9:07 AM

    Have a friend in christchurch NZ & she said at least once every 3/4 weeks they feel tremors… Must be a frightening experience… Heart goes out to the ppl in Nepal, as u said we don’t realise how lucky we are

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    Mute will stamp
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    May 12th 2015, 9:40 AM

    Is there nothing that doesn’t lead to a political moan on this. Nepal earthquake = Irish politics. Because fcuk logic!

    185
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    Mute Bill
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    May 12th 2015, 10:24 AM

    @ will stamp Chill out am just making the point about how trivial our problems are in Ireland compared to Nepal in this instance

    14
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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    May 12th 2015, 12:36 PM

    Shut up Bill and stop being so pig ignorant.

    This is a matter of being humane, not a political whinger.

    Sanctimonious a-hole

    65
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    Mute Deco James Connolly
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    May 12th 2015, 10:36 PM

    I hope you get a verruca on your nut sack for that comment ,think about what it would take to get rid of it .

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    Mute Dave cullen
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    May 12th 2015, 10:46 PM

    Just seen this p o Leary,comment of the week.

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    Mute HRH The Brummie
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    May 12th 2015, 8:49 AM

    We really don’t appreciate how lucky we are this side of the world. God love them.

    137
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    Mute PJ Maguire Kavanagh
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    May 12th 2015, 8:52 AM

    Such an empoverished nation, they don’t deserve such devastation again

    131
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    Mute J. Dunn
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    May 12th 2015, 9:06 AM

    The forces of nature and man run parallel but only one discriminates.

    64
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    Mute Jellymouse
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    May 12th 2015, 8:39 AM

    Please not again

    129
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    Mute KevinMunster
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    May 12th 2015, 9:21 AM

    Shocking news

    34
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    Mute Tis himself
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    May 12th 2015, 8:40 AM

    Oh my god. God help everyone over there. May god be with them all… my thaughts to everyone over there.

    80
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    Mute Joe Mc Dermott
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    May 12th 2015, 8:49 AM

    What kind of God would do this.

    107
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    Mute Jordan O'Byrne
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    May 12th 2015, 8:53 AM

    A mysterious god. Thou shalt not question him. For he is mysterious. All the good things he does, yeah, he claims them. There’s reason for those. The bad things…..oooooo it’s a mystery.

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    Mute David O Connor
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    May 12th 2015, 9:16 AM

    Really a God debate and taking the piss in this context?

    109
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    Mute Tis himself
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    May 12th 2015, 9:24 AM

    Go back to sleep Dave. Grown up conversation…

    17
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    Mute David O Connor
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    May 12th 2015, 9:27 AM

    I was actually referring to the other two comments questioning the legitimacy of God. Thank you for your very mature patronising contribution to a grown up conversation though.

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    May 12th 2015, 10:15 AM

    This is exactly the time and place for a debate about God, and specifically about why he would see fit to allow this sort of thing to happen. If you’re going to set yourself up as the supreme being and creator of of an entire universe, surely it’s not unreasonable that you be held to account for your actions (or lack of actions) every now and then?

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    Mute Jack Delaney
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    May 12th 2015, 10:18 AM

    Jordan, it has nothing to do with a god. I’m waiting for the priests of ‘global warming’ and ‘climate change’ to come forth and tell us that this is all our own fault and caused by our treatment of the planet.

    18
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    Mute Jack Hackett
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    May 12th 2015, 10:19 AM

    Please put all of your stupid, insignificant differences of opinion about God aside and respect one another and the poor people affected by another earthquake

    59
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    Mute Barton Hill
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    May 13th 2015, 1:08 AM

    God off.

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    Mute Ewan Scott-Douglas
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    May 12th 2015, 8:56 AM

    Its very close to Kathmandu …

    Hopefully the aid organisations are prepared for after shocks

    44
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    Mute Kevin Hickey
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    May 12th 2015, 9:38 AM

    Had a little 2.9 here in Christchurch NZ last night, woke us up at half 3, lasted a couple of seconds, straight back to sleep, happens every few weeks

    23
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    Mute Larissa Nikolaus
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    May 12th 2015, 10:19 AM

    They really didn’t need another one. It makes one wonder though, are there more natural disasters now than ever before, or is it just, that with the internet and all the modern news media we just get to know about a lot more of them than ever before.

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    Mute Veronica
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    May 12th 2015, 1:14 PM

    Heart goes out to these poor people in Nepal, they have suffered so much already..

    17
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    Mute Hermes
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    May 12th 2015, 11:04 PM

    There is a millisecond where you pass from life to death – once passed all that has occurred prior to that point is irrelevant ….
    No-one can deny it or avoid it and yet we think that somehow our imaginations and intellect can prevent it or at least delay it …perhaps Earthquakes and natural disasters teach us the real importance of the “Now “……..

    6
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