Grieving family members of the earthquake victims in Nepal conduct cremations of their beloved ones
Sobbing relatives of the victims of Nepal's most devastating earthquake in eight years performed the cremation rituals for their loved ones on Sunday. At the same time, rescue teams searched for any individuals who might still be trapped beneath the wreckage of collapsed structures.
In a report from Reuters, family members gathered around approximately 10 bodies, draped in white cloths and sheltered by a tarpaulin tent, prepared marigold garlands for the Hindu cremation ceremonies conducted on the banks of the Bheri River.
Nepal's National Seismological Centre recorded the earthquake as having a magnitude of 6.4, while the U.S. Geological Survey registered it at 5.6. This event stands as the deadliest in Nepal since 2015 when two earthquakes claimed the lives of approximately 9,000 people and reduced entire towns and ancient temples to rubble, along with over a million homes, at an estimated cost of $6 billion to the nation's $40 billion economy.
Following the earthquake on Friday, numerous buildings in Jajarkot and the adjacent Rukum West district either collapsed or developed structural damage, rendering them uninhabitable.
The government in Kathmandu announced immediate plans to provide shelter, food, and safety to displaced families. It also pledged to offer $1,500 in immediate relief to the families of each deceased victim.
Survivors in Chiuri, who belong to the "untouchable" Dalit community based on Nepal's Hindu customs, reported that no government representatives had visited or offered assistance. They recounted the terrifying sounds of buildings collapsing shortly after the earthquake struck.
In Khalanga, the capital of Jajarkot district, survivors took refuge on the streets near damaged homes, wrapped in blankets to ward off the cold. They conducted funeral pyres for each body, adhering to their cultural and traditional practices.
