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Updated: May 01, 2015 15:18 IST

The death toll in Nepal from a massive weekend earthquake has risen to 6,100 on Friday, according to a new tally by disaster management officials.



A total of 6,100 people are so far known to have died in Nepal alone from Saturday's quake, and around 100 more in neighbouring India and China. Around 10,000 were injured while the United Nations estimates that 8 million people have been affected and 600,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged by Nepal's worst natural disaster in eight decades.



Prime Minister Sushil Koirala told Reuters on Tuesday that the death toll could reach 10,000, as information on damage from far-flung villages and towns is yet to come in.

If the number does reach that it would surpass the 8,500 who died in a 1934 earthquake, the last disaster on this scale to hit the Himalayan nation of 28 million people located between India and China.

Earthquake

The earthquake occurred at 11:43am IST on April 25 with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.8. The earthquake was initially reported as 7.5 Mw by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) before being quickly upgraded to 7.9 Mw.

Epicentre

It's epicentre was approximately 34 km east-southeast of Lamjung in Nepal, and its hypocentre was at a depth of approximately 15 km. Bharatpur was the nearest major city to the main earthquake, 53 km from the epicentre.

The second earthquake occurred 81 km northwest of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Over 35 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 Mw or greater occurred following the initial earthquake, including one of magnitude 6.6 Mw.

The USGS picture shows the epicentre of April 25 earthquake in Nepal

Reason

According to the USGS, the temblor was caused by a sudden thrust or release of built-up stress, along the major fault line where the Indian Plate, carrying India, is slowly diving underneath the Eurasian Plate, carrying much of Europe and Asia.

Kathmandu, situated on a block of crust approximately 120 km wide and 60 km long, reportedly shifted 10 feet (3 metre) to the south in just 30 seconds.

The USGS picture shows the Indian Plate

Impact

Tremors were felt in the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, New Delhi and as far south as Karnataka.

The earthquake was also experienced across southwestern China, ranging from the Tibet Autonomous Region to Chengdu, which is 1,900 km away from the epicentre. Tremors were also felt in Pakistan and Bhutan.

Aftermath

The Unicef has said that close to a 1 million children have been "severely affected" by the disaster. The UN says the quake has affected 8.1 million people - more than a fourth of Nepal's population of 27.8 million - and that 1.4 million needed food assistance.



Take a look at what happened in Nepal over the last 5 days:



In Videos:

Watch: Just before the earthquake in Basantapur, Nepal



Watch: A group of Nepalese pranksters were making a video when it was interrupted by earthquake









Watch: Nepal earthquake aftermath: Drone footage reveals massive scale of destruction



In Pictures: Widespread devastation in Nepal

Emergency rescue workers clear debris in Basantapur Durbar Square while searching for survivors on April 25, 2015 in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images)

A man walks past damage caused by an earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 25, 2015. (AP Photo/ Niranjan Shrestha)

Nepalese rescue members and onlookers gather at the collapsed Darahara Tower in Kathmandu. (AFP Photo/Prakash Mathema)

A damaged road in Kathmandu. PTI Photo

People survey a site damaged by an earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal. Reuters Photo

The debris of a collapsed building in Kathmandu, Nepal. PTI Photo

Rescuers clear the debris at Durbar Sqaure in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015. (AP Photo/ Niranjan Shrestha)

People gather near a collapsed house in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 25, 2015. Reuters Photo

People clear rubble in Kathmandu's Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was severely damaged. (AFP Photo/Prakash Mathema)

Nepalese people walk past a collapsed bullding in Kathmandu. (AFP Photo/Prakash Mathema)

Emergency rescue workers find a survivor in the debris of Dharara tower after it collapsed in Kathmandu. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images)

People free a man from the rubble of a destroyed building in Kathmandu. (EPA/Narendra Shrestha)

This photo provided by Azim Afif shows the scene after an avalanche across Everest Base Camp, Nepal on April 25, 2015. (Azim Afif via AP)

Relief material is loaded into an Indian Air Force aircraft headed to Nepal, in New Delhi on April 25, 2015. PTI Photo

Emergency rescue workers carry a victim on a stretcher after Dharara tower collapsed on April 25, 2015 in Kathmandu. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images)

Collapsed buildings are seen at the Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Zhou Shengping/Xinhua via AP)

Indian Army personnel prepare relief materials to be airlifted to Nepal to provide assistance to victims at Hindon Air Force Station near New Delhi on April 26, 2015. AFP Photo/Chandan Khanna)

Indian soldiers on rescue mission to Nepal shout patriotic slogans before boarding an Indian Air Force aircraft near New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

People gather near the cracks on the road caused by an earthquake in Bhaktapur, Nepal. (Reuters Photo/Navesh Chitrakar)

A man walks along damaged houses in Bhaktapur, Nepal. (Reuters Photo/Navesh Chitrakar)

Family members break down during the cremation of an earthquake victim in Bhaktapur near Kathmandu. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Nepalese rescue personnel help a trapped earthquake survivor (C/R) as his friend lies dead next to him in Swyambhu, in Kathmandu on April 26, 2015. (AFP Photo/Prakash Mathema)

An Indian army helicopter is parked on the tarmac of the Kathmandu international airport on April 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Nepalese residents walk past road damage in Kathmandu on April 26, 2015. (AFP Photo/Prakash Mathema)

Rescue workers remove debris as they search for victims of earthquake in Bhaktapur near Kathmandu, Nepal on April 26, 2015. AP/PTI

A general view of the damaged Basantapur Durbar Square. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A general view of the damaged Basantapur Durbar Square. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A Nepalese girl takes out belongings from her damaged house in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu on April 26, 2015. AFP Photo/Prakash Singh)

People waiting at the airport in Kathmandu. Agency Photo

People gather on an open space for security reasons at Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu on April 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Hotel guests sleep inside the lobby of a luxury hotel following aftershocks, in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 27, 2015. (Reuters Photo/Athit Perawongmetha)

People sleep as they wait outside the departure terminal at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 27, 2015. (Reuters Photo/Danish Siddiqui)

Residents rescue items from debris of a house that was damaged in Kathmandu, Nepal. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A Hindu Nepalese woman offers prayers at Indrayani temple, that was damaged in Kathmandu on April 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A rescue chopper prepares to land, carrying people from higher camps to Everest Base Camp, Nepal on April 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Nima Namgyal Sherpa)

Nepalese army personnel search for victims trapped inside collapsed buildings following April 25 earthquake in Bhaktapur on April 27, 2015. (Reuters Photo/Navesh Chitrakar)

Damaged buildings lean to their sides in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

A man looks into his damaged house to recover belongings in Bhaktapur, Nepal on April 27, 2015. (Reuters Photo/Adnan Abidi)

Portraits and a wall clock is seen hanging on the remains of a house damaged in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal on April 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Abhishek Tamang, 4, looks on after receiving medical treatment, following the earthquake, at Dhading hospital, in Dhading Besi, Nepal on April 27, 2015. Reuters Photo/Athit Perawongmetha

A family Members breakdown during the mass creamtion in Kathmandu, Nepal. (HT Photo/Raj K Raj)

An Indian Air Force person carries a Nepalese child to a waiting ambulance at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Local people search for belonging in a collapsed building, at Sundra Dharara area in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 27, 2015. (HT Photo/Raj K Raj)

A man sits with a child on his lap waiting for ambulances after being evacuated at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Victims of earthquake lie inside an Indian Air Force helicopter as they are evacuated from Trishuli Bazar to the airport in Kathmandu. (Reuters Photo/Jitendra Prakash)

Rescue teams search for bodies in the collapsed Sitapyla church in Kathmandu, Nepal. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

An earthquake victim carries her baby on her back as she stands outside her makeshift shelter on open ground in the early hours in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 28, 2015. (Reuters Photo/Adnan Abidi)

A general view shows damages of Durbar Square in Lalitpur on the outskirts of Kathmandu on April 28, 2015. AFP Photo/Prakash Singh

Nepalese people wait to board buses to leave Kathmandu on the outskirts of Kalanki fearing fresh tremors on April 28, 2015. AFP Photo/Prakash Singh

Nepalese people travel on bus roof tops as they leave Kathmandu fearing an epidemic or fresh tremors in Kalanki on the outskirts of Kathmandu on April 28, 2015. AFP Photo/Prakash Singh

Nepalese people wait to get gas at a station in Kathmandu on April 28, 2015. AFP Photo/Prakash Mathema

Survivors play outside their tent at a makeshift camp in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A teddy bear lies on the top of debris as Indian rescue workers look for survivors and bodies trapped in a building collapsed in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

A victim with a broken leg is being carried by Nepalese soldiers in the town of Gorkha, Nepal on April 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

An injured girl is being carried by a Nepal Army personnel to a helicopter in Sindhupalchowk on April 28, 2015. (Reuters Photo/Danish Siddiqui)

Nepalese villagers shelter from rain during relief operations at Lapu in Gorkha on April 28, 2015. AFP Photo/SAJJAD Hussain)

Rescuers (top) look for survivors in the debris of damaged houses as residents (bottom) look on, in Kathmandu on April 28, 2015. AFP Photo

A monk carrying chairs walks out from the damaged monastery at Swoyambhunath Stupa, a UNESCO world heritage site in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 28, 2015. Reuters/Navesh Chitrakar

People survey a site damaged by the earthquake at Bhaktapur in Nepal khdmadhu. (HT Photo/Raj K Raj)

Local volunteers from the Bhaktapur district Red Cross chapter walk past damaged buildings in Bhaktapur near Kathmandu, Nepal in this Red Cross handout picture taken on April 28, 2015. Reuters/Finnish Red Cross/Aapo Huhta/Handout

A survivor earthquake is helped to board a military plane evacuating injured and stranded Indians from Kathmandu to New Delhi during a midnight rescue mission by Indian Air Force, in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Injured people lie on the floor and survivors sit inside a military plane evacuating injured and stranded Indian's from Kathmandu to New Delhi during a midnight rescue mission by Indian Air Force, in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Nepalis queue for buses to leave Kathmandu and return to their villages in the aftermath of earthquake in Nepal. Reuters Photo/Olivia Harris

This photo taken early on April 29, 2015 shows a survivor (C) being carried out of a damaged building by a French rescue team after being trapped for 82 hours in earthquake-hit Kathmandu. AFP Photo

A boy sits inside a tent on an open ground in Kathmandu, Nepal early April 29, 2015. Reuters/Adnan Abidi

An attendant pours water into the mouth of an injured evacuee as he lies on a stretcher inside a military plane evacuating injured and stranded Indians from Kathmandu to New Delhi on April 29, 2015. AP/PTI

Rescuers from Japan are seen in the historical centre of Kathmandu on April 29, 2015. AFP Photo/Philippe LOPEZ

A relative holds an old photograph showing Bharatman Pradhan, a 68-year-old family patriarch who survived, and his deceased wife, salvaged from the debris of their collapsed house in Kathmandu, Nepal. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Earthquake survivors cook food at a shelter camp in Kathmandu on April 29, 2015. AFP Photo/Philippe Lopez

Nepalese police push back residents who began protesting after waiting for hours in line to board buses back to other towns and villages from Kathmandu on April 29, 2015. AFP Photo/Prakash Mathema

Jagot Kumari Rana, 79, is led through the rubble of collapsed homes by her grandson Sogat Rana, 7, in Paslang village near the epicenter of the earthquake in the Gorkha District of Nepal. AP/PTI

Indian Air Force personnel help survivors to board a military plane, evacuating injured and stranded Indians from Kathmandu to New Delhi. AP/PTI

India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel search for the victims at a collapsed house in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 29, 2015. Reuters/Adnan Abidi

Shasha Shrestha, 8, holds a candle with the help of her grandmother Sunil Shrestha, of Boulder, during a candle light vigil. (Jeremy Papasso/The Daily Camera via AP)





Full Coverage: Nepal Earthquake 2015