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The road through the Jajarkot district headquarters is dotted with green tarpaulin tents. These makeshift tents put up by the Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal have been providing shelter to the locals who are living under the open sky after their houses were damaged by the earthquake on November 3.

The Armed Police Force has managed the tarpaulin sheet tents to protect from the cold the people who have been displaced after most of the mud-and-stone masonry traditional houses collapsed due to the 6.4 magnitude tremor.

The APF has also made arrangements for tents in the premises of Tribhuvan Secondary School as well as part of its campaign to provide temporary shelter in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.

People cannot stay inside their houses due to the frequent aftershocks. The earthquake survivors are living under the canopy of the tarpaulin sheets in the school grounds.

Pradip Khadka of Bheri Municipality-2 said he felt safe living under the tent built in the school premises.

The APF Nepal team has reached various wards of the municipality to facilitate the relief distribution. The APF personnel are helping with the distribution of relief materials, counseling the earthquake survivors and lending hands in setting up tents for them.

A squad of the APF is helping in the distribution of relief at Rija of Nalgad Municipality-2. It has also been providing counseling to the distressed people in the wake of the disaster.

All the government bodies have not been able to pay much attention to the distribution of relief and rehabilitation of the earthquake survivors in outlying areas from the district headquarters. The locals lack adequate information and knowledge to stay safe from the quake even as frequent aftershocks have been occurring here.

The quake victims are facing much inconvenience even living under the tarpaulin cover as roof as the local level has not been able to manage blankets and bedding in required numbers. Ganesh Thapa of Bheri Municipality-3 complained that he has not received warm clothes.

Relief materials have not yet reached most of the remote places outside the district headquarters. Problems have been faced as the relief is being distributed haphazardly without preparing the criteria. It is said a problem has arisen in the distribution of relief as the representatives of various organizations who have reached the villages have been distributing relief materials as per their convenience.

Meanwhile, relief reached Barekot Rural Municipality on Monday only, two days after the earthquake. Rural Municipality Chair Bir Bahadur Giri said the people in the rural municipality have been living under the open sky and protecting them from cold is the major challenge.

13 injured in major aftershock 

Thirteen people have been injured in Jajarkot and Rukum West due to the aftershock that struck the area on Monday. The epicenter of the aftershock measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale was Ramidanda. The epicenter of the November 3 earthquake was also located at Ramidanda.

Two people were injured in Jajarkot and 11 in Rukum West due to the aftershock that occurred at 4.30 pm on Monday, Chief District Officer of Jajarkot, Suresh Sunar said.

Almost half of those killed in quake are children

Meanwhile, almost half of those killed in the earthquake on Friday were children, it has been found. According to data with the police, 78 of the 157 people killed in the quake on the night of November 3 were children. Of the deceased children, 50 died in Jajarkot and 28 in Rukum West due to the quake, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Santosh Roka.

 Twenty eight of 52 people who died in the quake in Rukum West were children, said the district police chief Namraj Bhattarai. "Most of the deceased in Rukum West were children. Two 10-month-old children have also lost their lives," he said.

According to the Jajarkot police, of the 105 deceased in Jajarkot, 50 were children, 33 women and 18 men. In Rukum West, 16 women and eight men died in the quake.

Doctors serving at the Patan Hospital in Lalitpur have staged a demonstration shutting down all the services except for emergency demanding security.

The doctors staged the demonstration saying that the relatives of the patients physically assaulted the doctors and health workers working at the hospital.

Krishna Nagarkoti (67) of Makwanpur and Janamaya Rai (97) of Okhaldhunga had died recently while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Following the incident, the relatives of the deceased physically assaulted the doctors and medical staff.

The doctors carrying placards staged the demonstration demanding that the violence against the health workers be stopped.

Patan Hospital doctor Bimal Pandey said that the doctors staged the protest demanding security.

They said that they could not provide regular services until the guilty is brought the book.

Korala entry point at Nepal-China border will be opened from November 13.

With this, Korala border point, which has been closed for four years, will be opened from next Monday.

During his visit to China, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had urged the Chinese government to open the closed border points.

Following his request, preparations are being made to officially open the Nepal-China border on the northern side.

The Chinese side has invited local traders and the general public of Lomanthang and Loghekar Damodarkunda for the same, Loghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality Chairman Lopsang Chomphel Bista said.

He said that the people have been notified to bring citizenship certificates along with the border pass to enter China for the first time.

“The Chinese side has urged the people entering the border to bring citizenship certificates along with border passes to collect detailed information,” Bista said.

With the decision of the Chinese side to open the Korala border point, preparations are also being made for the inauguration program, Lomanthang Rural Municipality Chairman Tashi Nurbu Gurung said.

He said that high-ranking officials from the Chinese side will attend the inauguration program.

The Mustang administration had distributed border passes to 980 people in the first phase.

The border point had remained closed since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 400 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 115, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 115, 400 per tola on Sunday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 114, 450 per tola. It was traded at Rs 114, 850.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,415 per tola today.

The partial impact of westerly wind will cause brief rainfall and snowfall in some areas of high hills and mountains for three days.

The weather forecast bulletin has stated that some places in the hilly region in the country are predicted to have brief rainfall along with thunder and lightning, while snowfall in upper hilly and mountainous areas.

However, the other places will have clear weather.

The Nepali Congress has provided Rs 5 million to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund as a contribution to support the earthquake victims.

The Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba handed over the cheque of Rs 5 million to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Nepali Congress President Deuba, General Secretary duo Bishwo Prakash Sharma and Gagan Kumar Thapa among others had reached Baluwar to hand over the cheque for the rescue and relief of the people affected by the earthquake in Jajarkot and Rukum West.

Earlier, the Congress had announced to provide Rs 5 million to the government’s fund for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the earthquake-affected people.

As many as 157 people died and over 200 were injured after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake jolted west Nepal on Friday night.

Almost half of those killed in the earthquake on Friday were children, it has been found. According to data with the police, 78 of the 153 people killed in the quake on the night of Nov 3 were children. Of the deceased children, 50 died in Jajarkot and 28 in Rukum West due to the quake, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Santosh Roka.

Twenty eight of 52 people who died in the quake in Rukum West were children, said the district police chief Namraj Bhattarai. “Most of the deceased in Rukum West were children. Two 10-month-old children have also lost their lives,” he said. According to the Jajarkot police, of the 105 deceased in Jajarkot, 50 were children, 33 women and 18 men. In Rukum West, 16 women and eight men died in the quake.

Meanwhile, the quake-affected people have been waiting for relief to arrive.

Two persons died in a taxi accident at Malkatibang in Dhorpatan-2 of Baglung.

The deceased have been identified as Hom Bahadur Pun (28) of Pakhute, Dhorpatan-2, and Ashwin Pariyar (32) of Chhisphant of Badigad-6 in the district.

The tragedy occurred when the taxi (Dha 1 Ja 994) heading towards Dhorpatan from Badigad fell some 100 meters down the road.

Both of them died on the spot, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police, Madan KC.

President Ram Chandra Paudel is leaving for earthquake hit districts, Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim, today.

President's press advisor Kiran Pokharel informed that President Paudel would visit the quake affected districts to take stock of the situation of disaster survivors.

In the wake of the earthquake that occurred last Friday, President Paudel also postponed his scheduled visit to Europe from November 8.