Helicopter Missing After New Earthquake Hits Nepal

A U.S. Marine Corps helicopter has been reported missing in Nepal. The U.S. Pacific Command say 6 US Marines and 2 Nepalese soldiers were aboard.

The U.S. government has been among many to offer military assistance to the Himalayan country following last month's huge earthquake. Among the aircraft it sent to the region were UH-IY Venom helicopters such as the one seen below.

Earlier today Nepal was rocked by another earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3, only weeks after a 7.8 magnitude quake killed more than 8,000 people.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said it struck 68km west of the town of Namche Bazar, close to Mount Everest and that shockwaves were felt as far away as the Indian capital New Delhi.

People still standing out on tarmac at KTM airport, a lot of them on the phone #NepalQuakepic.twitter.com/mPHchGiXVI

— Jack Board (@JackBoard) May 12, 2015

Around 300 British Army Gurkhas are currently in the country after further reinforcements from 69 Squadron of the Queen's Gurkha Engineers arrived last week.

Prior to this most recent tremor they'd been deployed in 16-man teams to the worst affected areas to provide construction, water supply and medical expertise.

With monsoon season just a few weeks away, three RAF CH47 Chinooks are being sent to complement the relief effort in the Gurkha heartlands of Gorkha, Lamjung, Jiri and Bagmati. 

The aircraft have reportedly been held up in India after being dismantled in the UK and flown from RAF Brize Norton aboard a commerical Antonov freighter aircraft. 

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Speaking earlier about the UK's response to the disaster, the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said "The British Army Gurkhas deploying have a unique set of local knowledge, language skills and engineering experience, making them a vital element of the international response."

"We recognise that this terrible disaster will have directly affected our own Gurkha community and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."