This morning two major earthquakes, of 7.3 and 6.2 magnitude, hit Nepal.

These have come just two weeks after the devastating earthquake on 25 April that killed 8,000 and injured 17,000 people. This time, tremors were felt as far as away as Delhi, India.

The Leprosy Mission’s Anandaban Hospital, 12km outside of Kathmandu, has already been dealing with more than 1,200 casualties from the previous quake, but newly injured patients have now also started to arrive. 

People are coming to the hospital from the surrounding area with wounds and broken bones. Unfortunately, one woman was so badly injured that she passed away just after arriving at the hospital. Many buildings damaged by the previous earthquake in Kathmandu and in more remote villages have collapsed and thousands more people are believed to be homeless.

Patients at the hospital have again had to be moved outside into tents to ensure their safety, due to the fear that aftershocks could cause buildings to collapse while people are inside.

Staff at Anandaban Hospital are working hard to ensure that additional patients are treated and that they can continue their outreach to more remote areas to provide treatment and emergency relief supplies. The Leprosy Mission Nepal’s Disaster Response Team is working closely with the Nepali government to ensure relief is coordinated and that disabled people, those affected by leprosy and the most marginalised are reached.

Andrew Harding, a member of the Anandaban Disaster Response Team said, “When trying to get to the hospital following the earthquake we had to take a diverted route as so many roads are closed due to collapsed or unsafe buildings. 

"The staff are working unbelievably hard to ensure the injured are treated at the hospital and the relief effort to rural communities is continued.

"People are so scared; there is a quiet air of fear as they are forced once again to live in the open air. There is so much work to do and so many people to reach; we just pray that the world will not forget the people of Nepal.”