Kathmandu, May 13 (RHC)-- The death toll from a second strong earthquake in Nepal has risen to 81 as rescue operations continue to help the victims. On Tuesday, an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit Nepal days after another tremor left a trail of destruction and high casualties in the South Asian country.

The quake has also triggered landslides that blocked roads, toppled buildings, and slowed the delivery of relief aid. Nepalese officials on Wednesday issued an evacuation order, calling for people to leave damaged buildings.

The Tuesday quake, centered between the capital Kathmandu and Mount Everest, hit hardest in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The quake comes less than three weeks from a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 8,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes in Nepal. The devastating temblor also killed more than 100 people in India and China.