The death toll from the massive earthquake that struck Nepal four days ago has climbed above 5,000, Nepalese officials said Wednesday.
Nepal’s National Emergency Coordination Center told CNN that the number of dead now stands at 5,006 and the number people injured at 10,194.
Officials have warned that the death toll is expected to continue to rise.
Another 72 people died as a result of the quake in India, while China has reported 25 deaths.
Aid groups and Nepalese authorities are facing difficulties carrying out rescue work and delivering aid into remote areas near the epicenter of the 7.8 magnitude quake.
Isolated villagers are lacking food and drinking water, hospitals are short on medical supplies and many roads are cut off by landslides.
Across the poor Himalayan nation, many people are sleeping out in the open because their homes are destroyed or they don’t feel safe inside buildings amid continuing aftershocks.
The United Nations has estimated that the earthquake affected 8 million people in Nepal.
Stormy weather is increasing the hardships for the vulnerable population and severely hampering rescue and relief efforts.
An influx of international aid is struggling to find its way to many of the people who need it most. Officials have reported log jams at the airport in Kathmandu, the capital, as well as on the way to badly affected areas.
