Nepal Earthquake Death Toll Hits 4,000 As Rescuers Search in Remote Mountain Regions

The death toll following this weekend's severe earthquake in Nepal has risen to beyond 4,000 as aid workers scramble to find survivors and provide assistance.

The 7.9 earthquake struck near Nepal's capital of Kathmandu on Saturday, wreaking massive damage in the city, as well as neighboring remote mountain towns. Authorities have said that the death toll is likely to rise after more extensive search missions are conducted in mountain towns, which have proven difficult to access since Saturday's quake due to damaged roads.

According to the Associated Press, local officials have called for more help in the wake of the massive quake. Countries including China, the U.S., Israel, and the United Arab Emirates have already deployed dozens of aid workers to help with disaster recovery in the country.

"There are people who are not getting food and shelter. I've had reports of villages where 70% of the houses have been destroyed," Udav Prashad Timalsina, an official of Kathmandu's Gorkha district, told the AP.

Timalsina added to the media outlet that although 223 people have been declared dead in his district, "the number would go up because there are thousands who are injured."

While officials have said that the death toll has reached over 4,000, aid workers have expressed concern that the number is likely to rise due to little information regarding damage in remote mountain regions.

"Information about remote areas is severely lacking at this time," Devendra Singh Tak, an official with the charity group Save the Children, told CNN.