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The death toll in the earthquake that hit Jajarkot in west Nepal has risen to 144.

Police said that 92 people lost their lives in Jajarkot and 52 in Rukum West, both in Karnali Province.

Deputy Chief of Athbis Municipality Dhan Kumari Shah of Rukum West confirmed the death of 52 people in the district.

Meanwhile, DSP Santosh Roka of the District Police Office, Jajarkot, said that 92 people have been confirmed dead in Jajarkot,

Similarly, the earthquake has also caused a huge damage in both the districts.

Province Police Office spokesperson Gopal Chandra Bhattarai said that a joint team of Nepal Police, Nepal Army and Armed Police Force has been deployed to clear the roads blocked by landslides triggered by the earthquake and to carry out rescue operations.

An earthquake measuring 6.4 in the Richter scale occurred at 11:47 pm on Friday, with Ramidanda of Jajarkot as the epicenter.

Jajarkot is around 500 km west of Kathmandu.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed his grief over the loss of lives and properties due to the earthquake in Nepal.

He said that India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is ready to extend all possible assistance.

“Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and we wish the injured a quick recovery,” the Indian Prime Minister said.

The death toll has risen to 128 after an earthquake measuring 6.4 in the Richter scale jolted west Nepal on Friday night.

Deeply saddened by loss of lives and damage due to the earthquake in Nepal. India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is ready to extend all possible assistance. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and we wish the injured a quick recovery. @cmprachanda

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 4, 2023

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has left for the earthquake-affected areas with health workers and essential supplies.

The Prime Minister has left for the quake-hit areas with a medical team including 16 members of the Nepali Army and necessary materials for the rescue, search and relief of the earthquake survivors, according to the Prime Minister's Press Advisor Govinda Acharya.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet and former Finance Minister Janardan Sharma have also gone to the affected areas to coordinate rescue and relief efforts. Minister Basnet is an MP elected from Jajarkot and Sharma from Rukum West.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dahal has said that he is deeply saddened by the loss of human lives and physical property in the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that took place at 11:47 pm on Friday with its epicenter at Ramidanda of Jajarkot.

Appealing to everyone concerned to help with the rescue and relief efforts, Prime Minister Dahal has said that all the three security agencies have been mobilized for the immediate search and rescue of those injured in the quake.

According to the Prime Minister's Secretariat, additional security personnel from all three agencies from neighboring districts including Surkhet have been mobilized in search and rescue of the quake survivors.

Nepal government and the World Bank today exchanged the digitally-signed financing agreements for a $100m concessional loan from the International Development Association and a $3.84m grant from the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Trust Fund to strengthen the quality, coverage, and resilience of Nepal’s health system. 

These agreements were digitally signed on 27 Oct 2023. This is the first World Bank-financed project in Nepal that was digitally signed. The agreements for the Nepal Quality Health Systems Program Operation were signed by Finance Secretary, Krishna Hari Pushkar and the World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, Faris Hadad-Zervos.

The agreements were exchanged in the presence of Honorable Minister of Finance, Prakash Sharan Mahat, World Bank Managing Director for Operations, Anna Bjerde, and World Bank Vice-president for South Asia, Martin Raiser. The program will be implemented by the Ministry of Health and Population in coordination with the Health Insurance Board at the federal level, and selected provincial and local levels in Koshi and Gandaki provinces.

The program emphasizes improving the readiness of the health system for delivery of quality healthcare, enhancing coverage of health insurance, and strengthening health emergency preparedness and response capacity at the selected provincial and local levels.

“Quality healthcare serves as the cornerstone of human capital development. The comprehensive reform agenda set forth by the Nepal Quality Health Systems Program Operation will be pivotal in enhancing access to high-quality healthcare services,” said Krishna Hari Pushkar, Finance Secretary.

“We are committed to work with the government to build a resilient and inclusive public health system in Nepal that protects vulnerable populations and contributes to improved productivity and strong human capital development, which is fundamental to sustainable economic growth,” said Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.