Nepal earthquake, magnitude 7.3, strikes near Everest

Nepal earthquake, magnitude 7.3, strikes near Everest

A major earthquake has struck eastern Nepal, two weeks after more than 8,000 people were killed in a devastating quake.

The latest earthquake hit near the town of Namche Bazar, near Mount Everest.

The US Geological Survey said it had a magnitude of 7.3. An earthquake on 25 April, centred in western Nepal, had a magnitude of 7.8.

The latest tremor was felt as far away as the Indian capital Delhi, as well as Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Strong tremors were felt in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, which was badly damaged in last month's earthquake.

The BBC's Yogita Limaye, who is with an aid convoy in Nepal, says the latest quake went on "for a pretty long time."

She told BBC World News: "People have been terrified."

"This is a really big one," Prakash Shilpakar, the owner of a craft shop in Kathmandu, told the Reuters news agency.

People rushed from buildings in Kathmandu as the quake struck at 12:35 local time (07:50 GMT).

The epicentre of the latest earthquake was 83km (52 miles) east of Kathmandu, in a rural area close to the Chinese border.

It struck at a depth of 18.5km (11.5 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.

The 25 April quake was 15km (9.3 miles) deep. Shallower earthquakes are more likely to cause more damage at the surface.

The BBC's Yogita Limaye, who was with an aid convoy in Nepal's mountains when the latest earthquake struck, tweeted: "We're safe. Did feel the earth shake for quite a long time. Saw dust and stones flying off mountain near by."

She told BBC World News: "The earth shook and it shook for a pretty long time.

"I can completely understand the sense of panic. We have been seeing tremors: it's been two and a half weeks since the first quake.

"But this one really felt like it went on for a really long time. People have been terrified."

The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that buildings had collapsed in Nepal.

Tuesday's earthquake is likely to be one of the largest to hit Nepal, which has suffered hundreds of aftershocks since 25 April.