A powerful earthquake struck Nepal Saturday, killing at least 1130 people across a swath of four countries as the violently shaking earth collapsed houses, centuries-old-temples and triggered avalanches on Mount Everest. It was the worst tremor to hit the poor south Asian nation in over 80 years. At least 1100 people were confirmed dead in Nepal, other 20 were killed in India, six in Tibet and two in Bangladesh. Two Chinese citizens died at China-Nepal border. The death toll is almost certain to rise. It was a few minutes before noon, when a quake with preliminary magnitude of 7.9 began to rumble across the densely populated Kathmandu Valley, rippling through the capital Kathmandu and spreading in all directions-north toward the Himalayas and Tibet, south to Indo-Gangetic plains, east toward Brahamaputra delta of Bangladesh, and west toward historical city of Lahore in Pakistan. A magnitude-6.6 aftershock hit about an hour later and smaller aftershocks continued to jolt the region for hours. Residents ran out of homes and buildings in panic. Walls tumbled, large cracks opened up on streets and walls. Tower collapsed and clouds of dust began to swirl around.
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