Earthquake strikes Nepal, death toll rises to 15,000

A devastating earthquake struck Nepal, killing at least 15,400 people, the country’s military said on Saturday, adding that the death toll could rise.

The epicentre was at Kathmandu in central Nepal, which has been battered by several earthquakes in recent years.

A second quake struck Nepal’s capital, Kathmandur, later Saturday, triggering a series of aftershocks that sent buildings and vehicles flying and sent hundreds of people to the streets.

About 60,000 people were displaced, with at least 5,000 in hospitals, the United Nations said.

An earthquake in July 2008 killed more than 4,400, with the worst damage in the capital, and the U.N. says it’s likely that many more were killed in the following months.