Nepal (MNN) — A shallow 6.4 magnitude earthquake rocked northwest Nepal just before midnight on Friday, killing at least 157 people. Injuries rise above 260 as aftershocks continue and aid works struggle to reach those in need.
“The northwestern part of Nepal is the country’s most rural, rocky, hard-to-reach area,” Greg Yoder of Keys for Kids Ministries says.
Good News Nepal, a Keys for Kids partner, works near the epicenter. Gospel workers say the earthquake cost them “nothing in terms of loss of life, just property damage, which is good news,” Yoder says.
This was Nepal’s worst tremor since 2015, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed 9,000 people and damaged a million structures.
“The government has been through this before several years ago; they saw whole villages destroyed,” Yoder says.
(Photo courtesy of Good News Nepal via Greg Yoder/Keys for Kids Ministries)
He adds, “They (government officials) know how to handle this [disaster,] it just means a long, long process of not only rebuilding but taking care of the health needs of many people who were struggling before” the November 3 earthquake.
Once Nepal’s government develops a plan to meet medical needs, “Good News Nepal will come in and say, ‘Okay, we need to take a step forward and begin taking care of our people,’” Yoder says.
For now, aid workers prioritize temporary shelter for survivors, along with food, clean water, and medicine. Friday’s earthquake triggered multiple landslides, blocking roads to the remote villages. Many areas are only accessible by foot.
“We’re fortunate [to] have people on the ground so that we can begin praying [and] support the work they’re doing,” Yoder says. Watch for more updates here in the days ahead.
“Our partners on the ground [are] sharing the Gospel with people coming out of the mountains. They can evangelize more in a situation like this than ever before.”
Pray many earthquake survivors will encounter the Gospel message through this outreach and come to a saving faith in Christ.
Keys for Kids Ministries is raising funds to help the victims of the quake. They need medical assistance, shelter, food, and more. Send help and the hope of Christ here.
Header and story images courtesy of Good News Nepal via Greg Yoder/Keys for Kids.
