A 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook the Kathmandu Valley before noon on Saturday, April 25. Although the full extent of the damage is still unknown, initial reports say houses and buildings collapsed in Kathmandu and surrounding areas. Tremors were also strongly felt in northern India, in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is sending eight teams to assist those affected by the earthquake. Four MSF teams departed this morning from Bihar state in India and are currently at the border with Nepal clearing with authorities before heading to affected areas.

A surgical team composed of eight highly skilled MSF staff members will leave Brussels for Kathmandu this afternoon. Upon arrival the team will set up a surgical unit as well as run mobile clinics aimed at reaching affected people in remote areas.

One MSF team from Delhi, India, is now headed for Kathmandu after initially being re-routed back to India due to aftershocks. The team is expected in Kathmandu later today and will start providing medical assistance.

One team of medical and non-medical staff is headed for Kathmandu Valley from Japan.

More emergency supplies are being sent from Bordeaux, France, today.

Another MSF team from Amsterdam will depart today with additional medical and water and sanitation capacity.