A strong earthquake struck northwestern districts of Nepal just before midnight on Friday, leaving at least 69 people dead and dozens more injured. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6, was felt as far away as New Delhi, India. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the epicenter of the earthquake was in Jajarkot, located approximately 250 miles northeast of the capital city Kathmandu. The earthquake caused numerous houses to collapse in Rukum and Jajarkot districts, resulting in fatalities and injuries. Rescue efforts are currently underway, but communication has been cut off in many areas, making it difficult to assess the full extent of the damage and the number of casualties. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers continue to search for survivors. Nepal is located in a seismically active region, and earthquakes are not uncommon. In 2015, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 killed about 9,000 people and caused significant damage to the country.