Kathmandu, May 1 (RHC)-- Nepal’s army chief has warned the death toll from Saturday’s devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake could reach 15,000. On Friday, Nepal’s National Emergency Operation Center said in its latest update that a total of 6,204 people are now known to have lost their lives while another 13,932 were injured in the 7.8-magnitude quake on April 25th.

The center also said that more than 100 others were killed in neighboring India and China. The huge quake triggered an avalanche at Everest base camp that left 18 people dead.

Diplomats say it is hard to trace the missing because many backpackers do not register with their embassies when they arrive in Nepal, a country which is a popular destination for trekkers and climbers.

Nepal’s government struggles to deal with the scale of the disaster. It is the worst natural disaster to hit the Himalayan country in more than 80 years.