Nepal quake death toll tops 5,500
NEWS DESK (DİHA) - The first supplies of food aid began reaching remote, earthquake-shattered mountain villages in Nepal, as the official death toll of the quake topped 5,500, police officials said.
Frustration over the slow delivery of humanitarian aid boiled over in a protest in the city, with about 200 people facing off with police and blocking traffic on Wednesday. The protest was comparatively small and no demonstrators were detained.
But it reflected growing anger over bottlenecks that delayed much-needed relief four days after the powerful earthquake, which injured more than 10,000 and left many more homeless.
Police, meanwhile, arrested dozens of people on suspicion of looting or causing panic by spreading rumours of another big quake.
Helicopters finally brought food, temporary shelter and other aid to hamlets north of Kathmandu in the mountainous Gorkha District near the epicentre of Saturday's 7.8-magnitude quake.
(nt)
