KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 5

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka paid tribute to the people who lost their lives in the recent devastating earthquake in Jajarkot, including Sarita Singh, the deputy mayor of Nalgad Municipality in Jajarkot.

DPM Khadka honored Deputy Mayor Singh by draping her body with the national flag during a mass cremation ceremony organized for the earthquake victims along the banks of the Triveni River in Jajarkot this afternoon. The Chief Minister of Karnali Province, Raj Kumar Sharma, also attended the event.

DPM Khadka emphasized that the government's top priorities are medical treatment, relief, and rehabilitation for the earthquake survivors. He mentioned the government's successful rescue efforts in mobilizing the entire state apparatus, which allowed them to rescue the injured within a single day. Relief distribution began immediately.

'We have dispatched relief materials to reach all earthquake-affected individuals within two days, with additional relief on its way. We are committed to distributing relief at the same pace as our rescue operations,' he stated, adding that reconstruction work would commence as soon as relief distribution is completed.

The earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, struck at 11:47 pm on Friday with its epicenter in Jajarkot, resulting in significant casualties and property damage. As of now, 157 deaths have been confirmed due to the quake.