At least 128 people have died in a strong earthquake in Nepal, according to police in the capital Kathmandu.
Dozens more have been reported injured.
A representative of the local administration in the Jajarkot district, near the epicentre of the quake, said the number of victims could rise.
Confirmed figures on deaths or injuries from some other parts of the mountainous region were not initially available.
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According to measurements by the National Earthquake Monitoring Centre (NEMRC), the quake had a magnitude of 6.4 and occurred at 11:47 pm (1802 GMT) on Friday.
The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.6.
The area experienced at least three aftershocks in the following hour with a magnitude of at least 4.2.
The quake was also felt in the north of neighbouring India, including in the capital New Delhi, the Times of India and other Indian media reported.
The Himalayan region, where Nepal is located, is geologically extremely active.
The Indian continental plate is shifting under the Eurasian plate at a rate of around two centimetres per year – which repeatedly leads to strong earthquakes.
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Nepal experienced a particularly severe earthquake in 2015 which shook the area around the capital Kathmandu and caused numerous buildings to collapse.
About 9,000 people lost their lives and millions were left homeless. (dpa/NAN)
