Death toll rises from India quake

The death toll is rising from a strong earthquake that struck northern India, and killed and injured people across the region. Officials from India, Nepal, and Tibet are reporting fatalities and injuries. 

NEW DELHI, INDIA (Catholic Online) - Workers are clearing landslides and searching rubble for survivors. At least 53 people are now reported dead and more than 100,000 homes have been damaged throughout the region. 

Adding to the misery are heavy rains that are slowing efforts and increasing the danger of new landslides. Aftershocks are continuing and thousands are homeless.
 
The danger is so great that three rescue workers have been killed amid their frantic efforts to save people who have been trapped by the quake.

More than 6,000 Indian army and paramilitary troops are assisting in the efforts to rescue trapped survivors. Several helicopters are being used to deliver food and aid to villages that have been trapped by landslides.

The deadly quake struck on Sunday evening and has been rated as a 6.9 by the U.S. Geological Survey. Powerful aftershocks also created problems for rescuers by triggering landslides. Many roads are blocked and rescue workers cannot reach many places in the remote mountain regions.
China's Xinhua News Agency reported seven people killed and 24 injuries in Tibet. Chinese officials also reported landslides and power disruptions throughout that region.

Nepal reported seven deaths including two men and an eight-year-old child that dies when part of the British Embassy's perimeter wall collapsed.

Indian officials are blaming the monsoon rains for some of the deaths. The rains have reportedly weakened foundations and appear to have contributed to most of the collapses.

In West Bengal state, utility workers have been struggling to restore power to a large portion of the state which went dark after the quake snapped power lines.
 
Large earthquakes have struck the region before, notably in 1950 and 1897.

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