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A powerful earthquake rattled the northwestern districts of Nepal, casting a shadow of tragedy as it struck just before midnight on Friday. Early morning reports indicated 69 deaths, but according to the latest updates, death toll rise to 128, with more than hundred suffering injuries. Rescuers work is going on tirelessly in the affected mountain villages.
Officials have soberly acknowledged that the death toll is likely to rise, given the severed lines of communication with many remote areas. The earthquake, which occurred while many residents were asleep in their homes, sent shockwaves as far as India's capital, New Delhi, over 800 kilometers (500 miles) away.
Epicenter at Lamidanda area in Jajarkot district
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 and originated at a depth of 11 miles. The epicenter was identified by Nepal's National Earthquake Monitoring & Research Center as Jajarkot, located approximately 250 miles northeast of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
The most devastating impact was felt in Rukum district, where the quake claimed the lives of at least 35 people, according to police official Narvaraj Bhattarai. The district saw numerous houses collapse under the force of the earthquake, resulting in several fatalities and a significant number of injuries. Emergency services have already transported 30 injured individuals to the local hospital, said Bhattarai.
Eescue operation
In the neighboring district of Jajarkot, the situation mirrored the tragedy in Rukum. Here, 34 people lost their lives, as recounted by government administration official Harish Chandra Sharma. Security personnel are now collaborating with villagers under the cover of darkness to extract the deceased and help the injured who remain trapped within the rubble.
The rescue operation faces numerous challenges, primarily due to landslides triggered by the earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks, which have blocked some trails and made access to affected areas exceptionally difficult.
Tremors felt across the border in Bihar
The tremors were also felt across the border in Bihar, India, which experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4. Preliminary reports suggested that the earthquake reverberated through Bihar's Patna, Katihar, Motihari, and a few other districts along the Indo-Nepal border. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of damage to property or loss of life in Bihar due to the earthquake.
The earthquake struck around 11:30 pm, with its epicenter located in Nepal, roughly 227 km north of Ayodhya and 331 km west-northwest of Kathmandu. The sudden tremors triggered panic among residents, prompting them to evacuate their homes in various areas of Patna and Katihar as a precaution.
7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015
This unfortunate earthquake marks the third significant seismic event to impact Nepal within a single month.
Earthquakes are an unfortunate reality in the mountainous terrain of Nepal, with the most devastating one in recent memory being the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015, which claimed the lives of around 9,000 people and left approximately 1 million structures damaged.
