The death toll from Saturday\u2019s earthquake in Nepal has now passed 5,000 and officials say it is likely to increase to 10,000.<\/p>\n
Claims of slow disaster relief have kindled growing public frustration with the Nepalese government, which has struggled to deliver food, water, tents and other aid across the mountainous country of 28 million people.<\/p>\n
Bad weather around Kathmandu and other devastated districts put a halt to rescue efforts for some hours on Tuesday and prevented Indian Army helicopters landing in Gorkha district, one of the worst hit regions of\u00a0western Nepal.<\/p>\n
Relief and rescue operations have been inadequate in Gorkha, a remote area in the Himalayan foothills where some villages have been completely flattened.<\/p>\n
The government say a temporary camp has been established in Barpak\u2014at the epicentre of the earthquake\u2014\u00a0and rescue work is underway. But\u00a0people near the district headquarters haven\u2019t received tents, let alone the most affected villages\u00a0like Laprak and Barpak, said Nabin Baral,\u00a0a photojournalist who managed to reach the area.<\/p>\n
People in the Mount Everest region in eastern Nepal are facing a similar plight. Namche\u2014\u00a0a\u00a0village on the way to Everest base camp – and Thame have suffered serious damage, but no relief has\u00a0reached the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome private helicopters have been rescuing tourists, but locals have no choice and even those injured are yet to be rescued,\u201d said Saurav Dhakal, another journalist who was on a trek in the region. The earthquake triggered a huge avalanche on the mountain that killed at least 17 climbers and guides.<\/p>\n
Seventy tourists including some severely injured locals were rescued from Lukla, a tiny village at the base of Mount Everest on Monday, but flights \u00a0were suspended on Tuesday due to bad weather, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded.<\/p>\n