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Nepal Seeks Aid as Death Toll Continues to Climb

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The government of Nepal says it will need a large amount of international assistance to recover from Saturday's massive 7.8 earthquake.

As the death toll keeps climbing by the hour, now over 3,600, officials still don't know what happened to small villages at the epicenter of Nepal's massive quake. Landslides are hindering access and experts say in cases like this, entire villages can be swallowed by falling rock.

Meanwhile, aftershocks continue. 

"The earth is really moving now. Everyone is running through the streets!" BBC reporter Justin Rowlatt said.

Saturday's quake spread horror from Kathmandu to Mt. Everest, where it triggered an avalanche that buried part of the base camp packed with foreign climbers.

"The ground is shaking," Josh Kobusch says on a video posted on YouTube.

Scientists say major quakes in the area, where two huge tectonic plates converge, occur about every 80 years. The last one took place 81 years ago.

Meanwhile, the rescue effort is ongoing. Workers pulled one man through the window of a collapsed window as bystanders applauded. A young girl was also pulled to safety.

"Most of them are suffering from head injuries, while food, water and power remain scarce," Dr. Santosh Poudel said.

One expert said the long-term cost of reconstruction in Nepal could be more than $5 billion -- or about 20 percent of Nepal's GDP. That means massive international financial and technical assistance will be vital for long-term reconstruction.

Nepal's government appealed for more help from the international community, saying it is short of everything from paramedics to electricity.

CBN Disaster Relief is already working to provide food, shelter and medical care from neighboring India.

"We really want to pray that the love of Jesus Christ can -- and the hope in Him can -- reach these people and we want to be able to do that," CBN's Regional Director for India Priti Choudhry told CBN News. "We want to be able to share the love of God with these people right now."

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About The Author

Dale
Hurd

Dale Hurd utilizes his four decades of experience to provide cutting-edge analysis of the most important events affecting our world. Since joining CBN News, Dale has reported extensively from Europe, China, Russia, and South America. His reports have been used or cited by NBC News, Fox News, and numerous news websites. Dale was credited with “changing the political culture in France” through his groundbreaking coverage of the rise of militant Islam in that nation. His stories garnered millions of views in Europe on controversial topics ignored by the European media. Dale has also covered the