Rescuers battle to reach survivors of new Nepal quake

Chautara

Rescuers battled yesterday to reach survivors of a deadly new earthquake in Nepal that triggered landslides and brought down buildings, as hundreds of troops searched for a missing US military helicopter.

Thousands of traumatised survivors spent the night outdoors, afraid to return to their houses after Tuesday's 7.3-magnitude quake hit, less than three weeks after the country was devastated by its deadliest quake in more than 80 years.

Dozens of people were killed in the latest disaster, bringing the overall death toll to more than 8,200 and compounding the difficulty of reaching far-flung mountain communities in desperate need of shelter, food and clean water.

Police said 76 people had been confirmed dead and more than 2,000 injured in the new quake, which was centred 76 kilometres (47 miles) east of Kathmandu, and also killed 17 people in northern India.

The United Nations said it faced a "monumental challenge" to bring relief to victims, many of whom live in areas accessible only on foot or by helicopter, before the monsoon rains began.

UN resident coordinator Jamie McGoldrick said Tuesday's quake had exacerbated an already desperate situation as he delivered an urgent call for more funding.

'No hope left'

The Nepal army mounted a huge ground and air search for a US Marine Corps helicopter that went missing on Tuesday during a disaster relief operation in the eastern district of Dolakha, near where the latest quake hit.

Spokesman Jagdish Pokharel said the army would keep searching until it found the chopper, which was carrying six US Marines and two Nepal army soldiers when it disappeared in a remote mountainous area.