AN EAST Lancashire charity is considering how to respond to a second devastating earthquake in Nepal.

The Al-Imdaad Foundation, which is based in Blackburn, sent out a team from its base in South Africa following the first earthquake in April.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The charity is awaiting more information from the team before a decision is taken on how to respond to the latest earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.3.

It struck an isolated Himalayan area between the capital Kathmandu and Mount Everest, near the Chinese border, and comes after the first earthquake killed more than 8,000 people.

Nepal’s Home Ministry has said that the death toll from yesterday’s earthquake was at least 36 people, with hundreds more injured after the quake triggered landslides and toppled buildings.

So far the Al-Imdaad team has been engaged in search and rescue operations and include medical personnel who are assisting with the needs of the injured victims.

The Foundation has also been responding with essential items such as food, water purification tablets, hygiene packs, blankets and temporary shelter.

UK director of the foundation, Hafez Abdussamad Mulla, who is based in Blackburn, said: “We are awaiting more statistics and information before we can make a more informed decision on how to respond.

“We expect that we will be able to help in a similar way to the previous earthquake but this time we will have to work over a larger area, which could be challenging.

“I hope it will not be long until we have enough information to make more decisions and to get more people on the ground.

“We are also considering sending a team direct from Blackburn to Nepal.”

The Nepalese government and aid agencies have started a new aid effort, with the districts of Sindhupalchowk and Dolkha the worst hit.