Massive quake kills 876 in Nepal: police

Kathmandu.– The death toll from the 7.9-magnitude eathquake which devastated parts of Nepal on Saturday has risen to 876, according to police.

The massive quake, which was the worst tremor to hit the South Asian nation in over 80 years, collapsed houses, levelled centuries-old temples and triggered avalanches on Mt. Everest.

According to press reports, a magnitude-6.6 aftershock hit about an hour later, and smaller aftershocks continued to jolt the region for hours.

The epicenter was 80 kilometers northwest of Nepals capital. The Kathmandu Valley is densely populated with nearly 2.5 million, with the quality of buildings often poor.