The tragic earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday, killing at least 918 people across four countries has stunned humanity. IFFCO the farmers’ cooperative has expressed grief and sympathy loss of life and property.
IFFCO MD Dr. U S Awasthi tweeted “ #IFFCO expresses its griefs & sympathy for the loss of life and property due to today’s earthquake in #Nepal and #Central India.”
At least 876 people were confirmed dead in Nepal, according to the Nepal Home Ministry. Another 34 were killed in India, six in Tibet and two in Bangladesh. Two Chinese citizens died at the Nepal-China border.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed immediate dispatch of relief and rescue teams to earthquake-affected areas of the country as well as Nepal and ordered proper arrangements for evacuating stranded tourists from that country.
The earthquake also shook several cities across northern India, and was felt as far away as Lahore in Pakistan, Lhasa in Tibet, and in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Following the quake, Kathmandu’s international airport was shut down.
The quake’s epicenter was 80 kilometers northwest of Kathmandu, and it had a depth of only 11 kilometers, which is considered shallow in geological terms. The shallower the quake the more destructive power it carries, and witnesses said the trembling and swaying of the earth went on for several minutes.