S. Korea to send emergency response team after 2nd major quake in Nepal

South Korea said Tuesday it will send an emergency response team to Nepal, which was hit by another massive earthquake less than three weeks after it was devastated by a quake of a similar magnitude. 

Nepal suffered another massive earthquake with a 7.3-magnitude in a remote area near Mount Everest earlier on Tuesday.

A three-member team will head to Nepal on Wednesday to help determine whether there are any South Korean casualties as well as their exact whereabouts and current condition, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Up until now, there have been no reports of any injuries or deaths of South Korean citizens," a ministry official said, adding that they are still checking for possible casualties.

Two other officials that had been dispatched to the country earlier following the April 25 earthquake had been pulled out from the devastated region on Monday, the foreign ministry said.

There are currently some 600 South Korean citizens in Nepal, of which 350 are temporary visitors including tourists and rescue workers, according to the foreign ministry.

The latest earthquake comes after Nepal had been hit by a quake with a magnitude of 7.8 just last month with official data citing around 8,150 deaths and 17,860 injuries as a result of the disaster. (Yonhap)