More than 3,600 people have died in a massive earthquake that struck near Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, Saturday and officials warn that the figure could reach up to 5,000.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake is the worst such disaster to hit the Himalayan nation in more than 80 years ― some 8,500 people died in an earthquake that measured 8.1 on the Richter scale in 1934. Reports of people digging among the ruins with their bare hands to find survivors in the absence of heavy equipment shows the utter devastation wrought on the poor country whose economy relies largely on tourism. Massive avalanches on Mount Everest caused by the earthquake and its aftershocks have also claimed at least 18 lives.

Countries have quickly pledged humanitarian aid and are sending teams to assist in the rescue and recovery effort. Korea has pledged $1 million in initial humanitarian aid and dispatched an advance team and a 10-member search and rescue team on Monday. Another 30-member search and rescue team will be dispatched on Aug. 1, the government said. However, the second team should leave as soon as possible as the search and rescue operations are a fight against time.

The United States pledged $1 million and sent a disaster response team while China’s 62-member search and rescue team is already on the scene and Japan sent a 70-member team to provide emergency services. Norway has pledged $3.5 million and the European Union has pledged $3.25 million in addition to the aid promised by individual member states.

About 300,000 foreign nationals are thought to have been in Nepal when the earthquake struck at a busy time in Nepal’s trekking and climbing season, and countries are expediting efforts to assist their citizens. Three Koreans have been reported injured in the earthquake ― a worker at a hydroelectric dam project and two travelers ― with one of them sustaining serious injuries. The government should move quickly to evacuate the injured Koreans and to provide assistance to the some 650 Koreans living in Nepal. The Korean Embassy in Kathmandu is said to be inundated with calls from anxious families and friends inquiring about the safety of their loved ones. The Foreign Ministry should make sure that all Koreans in Nepal, including as many as 1,000 tourists, are accounted for and taken care of.

Numerous aftershocks have followed Saturday’s earthquake, including a 6.7 magnitude aftershock on Sunday. The buildings and structures that remain standing are shaky and unstable and the aftershocks could cause additional loss of lives and damage.

Experts explain that it is the buildings that kill people in an earthquake, not the earthquake itself. The high death toll in Nepal is largely attributed to the high population density and unsafe buildings. In fact, the latest disaster was just waiting to happen. Seismologists have known that earthquakes in Nepal occur in roughly 75-year cycles. For that matter, a week before Saturday’s earthquake, 50 earthquake specialists had convened in Kathmandu for a seminar on preparation for the “big one.” Although scientists warned of the need to prepare for such earthquakes, Nepal, struck by poverty and lack of an efficient government, did not have the resources to prepare itself.

In addition to taking on an active role in the search and rescue operations in Nepal, the Korean government should also review its own earthquake readiness. Such a review should include the possibility of an eruption of Mount Baekdu which has been showing signs of increased activity in the last few years.