At least 157 killed as earthquake strikes Nepal

At least 157 people were killed as an earthquake struck the Jajarkot region in the west of the Himalayan nation at 11.47pm (1802 GMT) on Friday

At least 157 people were killed as an earthquake struck the Jajarkot region in the west of the Himalayan nation at 11.47pm (1802 GMT) on Friday with a 6.4 magnitude, Nepal's National Seismological Centre said. The German Research Centre for Geosciences measured it at 5.7 and the US Geological Survey at 5.6.

Officials fear the death toll could rise as first responders had reached the hilly area near the epicentre, some 500km west of the capital Kathmandu, only early on Saturday and began searching for survivors.