Two mild tremors recorded around Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: Two mild tremors were felt today in Kathmandu and surrounding areas affected by the April 25 earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people in Nepal.

A tremor measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale was recorded at 2.47 pm with epicentre in the Kathmandu-Lalitpur-Makawanpur area, according to the National Seismological Centre.

Another tremor measuring 4.2 was recorded at 11.10 am with epicentre at Dolakha. No casualties were reported.

With this, a total of 248 aftershocks of over 4 magnitude were recorded since the April 25 earthquake.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a private-public partnership for promoting tourism, has handed over Rs 50 million to the Prime Minister's Earthquake Relief Fund for carrying out rehabilitation and reconstruction works in the aftermath of the devastating quake.

The NTB has assured seed money of Rs 100 million for renovation and reconstruction of various tourist places and historical and cultural heritage sites damaged by the quake.

The NTB has asked national and international donors to provide necessary fund for carrying out renovation and reconstruction of historical sites, shrines and tourist spots destroyed by the earthquake.

Also, the UK's Department for International Development ( DFID) has pledged a further 10 million pounds so that children can be immunised, women can deliver babies safely and work can commence on rebuilding up to 1,000 damaged health facilities, the UK Embassy here said.

Britain is leading the rebuilding of thousands of hospitals in Nepal to get health services up and running and ensure vulnerable groups like girls and women are protected following the earthquake, International Development Secretary Justine Greening said today, during her visit to the country.

DFID is also reallocating support to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to provide around 15,000 dignity kits to women and girls affected by the earthquake.

The latest package of support brings the UK's response to the Nepal earthquake to more than 33 million pounds - making it the largest donor to the relief operation, according to an embassy press release.