More than a thousand engineers inspect quake-damaged buildings in Nepal's capital

An elderly Nepalese walks past a damaged temple performing rituals to end the mourning period of a family member who died in the April 25 earthquake, in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Wednesday, May 6, 2015. The April 25 earthquake killed thousands and injured many more as it flattened mountain villages and destroyed buildings and archaeological sites in Kathmandu. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) (The Associated Press)

A Nepalese boy, who lost a family member to the April 25 earthquake, walks past debris as he performs rituals to end the mourning period, in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Wednesday, May 6, 2015. The April 25 earthquake killed thousands and injured many more as it flattened mountain villages and destroyed buildings and archaeological sites in Kathmandu. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) (The Associated Press)

More than a thousand engineers are checking damaged houses in Nepal's capital and advising people about whether they are safe.

Nepal Engineers Association General Secretary Kishore Kumar Jha said Wednesday that about 13,000 families have asked his organization to inspect their homes after the massive magnitude-7.8 earthquake near Kathmandu on April 25.

It is still unclear how many houses were damaged in the capital and how many are repairable.

Jha said about 40 percent of the damaged houses they have inspected so far were considered safe.

Police say about one-third of Kathmandu's population has left the city since the earthquake. Many others have moved in with relatives, and some are staying in tents in open areas.