Death toll in Nepal may go up to 10,000: PM Sushil Koirala

Kathmandu, April 28: The death toll in Nepal’s devastating earthquake may go up to 10,000, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Tuesday told the envoys of India, China and the US. Koirala told the ambassadors that nearly 4,400 people were already dead from Saturday’s temblor, many of the thousands of injured were in serious condition and further hundreds were missing across the country.All these put together may push up the death toll to 10,000, Koirala’s media advisor Prakash Adhikari told IANS, quoting what the prime minister had told the envoys of the three countries. Koirala’s assessment would make this worst ever earthquake to hit Nepal. Koirala also sought more and quicker international aid to provide both immediate assistance to the earthquake victims and to rebuild the country.Sudden torrential rain in Kathmandu on Tuesday added to the plight of the quake-hit people who were left wet and miserable. The heavens opened up during the day and it rained incessantly for about 15-20 minutes, hampering rescue work. People are currently living in tents that have been pitched in open grounds. The rain turned the ground into slush and whatever belongings people had salvaged from their collapsed homes got wet and soggy.Following last weekend’s earthquake that devastated Nepal, people are avoiding going into their homes, till it is an absolute necessity. The rain led to a spike in sale of large plastic and tarpaulin sheets.