FEARS are growing for Swindon people’s friends and families caught up in the Nepalese disaster after a second earthquake hit on Tuesday.

Rescue work has resumed to find the victims and survivors of the latest deadly earthquake to hit Nepal.

At least 65 people died and nearly 2,000 were hurt in Tuesday’s 7.3 magnitude quake, with fears the figures could rise. At least 17 died in India.

The latest earthquake was centred about 76km - 47 miles - east of the capital, Kathmandu, near the town of Namche Bazaar, where Swindon climber Sharna King was staying when the first quake hit last month.

The 39-year-old, a human resources manager at Nationwide, was about to attempt her fourth Himalayan summit in three years when April 25’s catastrophe hit.

The Meadow Road resident still has friends living in the country. She says they are resilient, but vulnerable.

“I spoke to my friends in Nepal yesterday and the biggest thing is the fear of feeling vulnerable,” she said. “My friends spent the night on the streets in Kathmandu.”

She said infrastructure in the country is still ticking despite the tragedy.

Tuesday’s disaster has not had as significant an impact as April’s, despite measuring just a few notches down on the Richter scale.

Sharna said the depth and location of April 25’s quake made it six times worse than Tuesday’s.

Rajan Chhetri, the chairman of the Nepalese Association of Wiltshire, said much of the damage to his property and family in Nepal had already been done.

The civil security officer, who lives in Bedwyn Close, Pinehurst, saw his home in the country destroyed after the first earthquake.

His four brothers and five sisters are all unscathed after Tuesday’s quake.

“All the damage has been done to my family and house. The second one came a long way away from where they live,” he said. “We are hoping to rebuild the house in mid-August.”

To donate to Oxfam’s appeal visit oxfam.org.uk/nepal_appeal.