WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is sending a disaster response team and $1 million in aid to Nepal following a devastating earthquake.

The White House and Secretary of State John Kerry are offering condolences along with pledging the support.

The magnitude 7.8 quake outside the capital, Kathmandu, killed more than 1,100 people in Nepal and at least 50 others in neighboring countries.

Volunteers carry the body of a victim on a stretcher, recovered from the debris of a building that collapsed after an earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal. (AP Photo/ Niranjan Shrestha)
Volunteers carry the body of a victim on a stretcher, recovered from the debris of a building that collapsed after an earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal. (AP Photo/ Niranjan Shrestha)
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Kerry says in a statement that the United States stands with the people of Nepal and sends heartfelt sympathies.

He says USAID is preparing to deploy the disaster assistance response team and is activating an urban search and rescue team.

National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan says the U.S. stands ready to provide further assistance in the region.

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