The quake hit the western area of Jajarkot district. It was felt in the national capital of Kathmandu and as far as New Delhi, in India. The Nepalese army and police were mobilized to carry out rescue work.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered condolences on Saturday to the president and prime minister of Nepal over the devastating quake.
"Please convey words of sincere sympathy and support to the victims’ families and friends and wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured in this disaster," the Kremlin said in a statement.
This is the deadliest quake in Nepal since 2015, when a 7.8-magnitude quake killed nearly 9,000.