Nearly 2,000 dead after devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal

The true devastation from the quake, which struck around noon, won't be known for some time, as rescue workers continue to wade through the rubble, particularly in the heavily populated Kathmandu Valley — where, according to the AP, building quality is often low. Home Ministry official Laxmi Dhakal has said the death toll will rise.

For perspective on the magnitude of this quake — at 7.8, the AP reports, it was considerably more powerful than the one that devastated Haiti in 2010, and the same magnitude as the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco.