The death toll from the avalanche at the Mt Everest base camp triggered by the powerful earthquake on Saturday has climbed to 19 while more than 61 have sustained injuries.Locals spent the night on roads as their homes were destroyed due to the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the country. "After the earthquake, we were told by the media that there will be earthquakes again and again. We felt the earthquake three-four times. The first one was the longest which lasted about five minutes. Of them, 18 died at the base camp while one died while undergoing treatment in Kathmandu, Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Suresh Man Shrestha said.The Ministries of Home, Finance, Defence, Health and Population, Information and Communications, Physical Planning and Transport, Local Development, Urban Development, as well as bodies under the ministries have been providing essential services under the central command of the government. The administrative works have been affected as offices of different ministries have developed cracks, and the dossiers and documents are scattered on the ground due to the earthquake. The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the National Planning Commission, Defense Ministry and the Ministry of Finance, among others, were damaged due to this.
