Nepal earthquake: US to send disaster response team and $1m in aid

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/25/nepal-earthquake-us-disaster-response-aid

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Related: Nepal quake: more than 1,000 people dead after tremor near Kathmandu

The US is sending a disaster response team and $1m in aid to Nepal, following a devastating earthquake that shook three countries.

The White House and Secretary of State John Kerry offered condolences along with pledging the support.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake outside the capital Kathmandu killed more than 1,000 people in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. It also toppled buildings and triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest.

Kerry said in a statement that the US stood with the people of Nepal and sent heartfelt sympathies. He said USAID was preparing to deploy the disaster assistance response team and was activating an urban search and rescue team.

A National Security Council spokeswoman, Bernadette Meehan, said the US stood ready to provide further assistance in the region.

The State Department said it was “conducting accountability checks of US embassy personnel and US citizens” and said all US citizens in the disaster zone should “shelter in place if they are in a safe location”.