/////////////////
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Up to 15,000
people may have died in the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal
over the weekend, the country's army chief told NBC News in an exclusive
interview on Thursday.
The official death toll from Saturday's 7.8-magnitude quake quake currently stands at 5,800.
"Our estimates are not
looking good. We are thinking that 10,000 to 15,000 may be killed," said
Gen. Gaurav Rana, who is leading the nationwide rescue effort.
Rana acknowledged that
massive temblor left officials struggling to cope with the aftermath —
including the risk of disease and growing public anger at the pace of
the rescue effort.
"There is unrest, and we are watching it. Yes, there is the threat of an epidemic, and we are watching it," he said.
Rana said he understood
how many people "would be angry" about the government's response,
stressing that the army was working with the police to "identify local
hot spots and control things [politically]."
On Wednesday, hundreds
of Nepalis protested outside parliament to demand the government boost
the number of buses going to the interior hills and improve aid
distribution. The official search and rescue effort has also been widely
criticized in the press.////////////////
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/nepal-earthquake/nepal-army-chief-n351071
No comments:
Post a Comment