More than 1,400 people have been reported dead after a huge 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal at 06:11:26 UTC on Apr 25, 2015.

People carry the body of a victim after an earthquake hit Kathmandu, Nepal, April 25, 2015. Reuters/Navesh Chitrakar

People carry the body of a victim after an earthquake hit Kathmandu, Nepal, April 25, 2015. Reuters/Navesh Chitrakar

Rescuers began the search for survivors near the capital of Kathmandu a day earlier flattened homes, buildings and temples, causing widespread damage across the region.

According to CNN, the death toll of 1,457 is expected to rise as the full extent of the damage is assessed.

The loss of life reported so far “is really based on the information we have from the main cities,” Lex Kassenberg, Nepal country director for CARE International, told CNN. “But if you look at the spread of the earthquake a lot of the rural areas have been hit as well. The information we received from the field is that 80% of the houses in these rural areas have been destroyed.”

The quake struck Saturday at exactly 11:56 a.m. local time and was centered less than 50 miles northwest of Kathmandu. It occurred at a depth of 9.3 miles, which is considered shallow and more damaging than a deeper quake. It was reported by people in the area as having lasted a long time.

It was felt as far away as Lahore in Pakistan, Lhasa in Tibet, and Dhaka, Bangladesh, was followed by about 15 aftershocks, including one registered at a magnitude of 6.6. At least 34 were killed in India, 12 in Tibet and two in Bangladesh. Two Chinese citizens died on the Nepal-China border.