KATHMANDU, Nepal — A 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked northwestern Nepal Friday night, killing at least 37 people and injuring dozens, officials said.
As rescuers searched the mountain villages where the earthquake struck, officials warned that the death toll was expected to rise, noting that communications with many of the affected areas had been cut.
The quake killed at least 20 people in Rukum district, where several houses collapsed, a police official, Narvaraj Bhattarai, said by telephone.
In neighboring Jajarkot district, 17 people were confirmed dead, according to Harish Chandra Sharma, a government official.
Nepal’s National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center measured the quake at 6.4 on the Richter scale and said its epicenter was in Jajarkot, Karnali province. Jajarkot is about 310 miles west of the capital, Kathmandu.
At least 20 people in Jajarkot were taken to hospital with injuries, Suresh Sunar, a district official, told Reuters.
“I am myself openly,” Mr. Shunar told Reuters by telephone. “We are gathering details, but due to the cold and night, it is difficult to get information from remote areas. We have mobilized rescue personnel.”
The earthquake occurred shortly before midnight, when many people were sleeping in their homes. The tremors were also felt in the capital of India, New Delhi.
Earthquakes are common in mountainous Nepal. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake in 2015 killed about 9,000 people and destroyed about a million structures.
