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Nepal Earthquake News: According to Nepal government’s post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) report, the Himalayan state is the 11th most earthquake-prone country in the world.
Earthquake News: 2015 Nepal disaster claimed nearly 9,000 lives and injured tens of thousands. (PTI File photo)
An earthquake of 7.1 magnitude, which was felt in central Nepal early morning on Tuesday, brought back memories of the deadly quake and multiple aftershocks that hit the Himalayan state on April 25, 2015. The disaster claimed nearly 9,000 lives, injured tens of thousands, and left entire villages and communities in ruins. The destruction was so extensive that it displaced millions and necessitated a massive international aid response.
A seismologist was quoted by news agency PTI as saying that Nepal, situated on the precarious Himalayan seismic zone, is a highly earthquake-prone country and its quake-battered western mountainous region is likely to face a threat of a bigger earthquake.
According to Nepal government’s post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) report, the Himalayan state is the 11th most earthquake-prone country in the world.
Seismologists say that the western region of Nepal is more prone to quakes. Official data showed that in 2023, over 70 quakes were felt in the country.
One of the deadliest earthquakes of 2023 was felt in the month of November when at least 140 people were killed. The earthquake originated in Jajarkot district, which falls in Nepal’s western mountainous region.
“There has been a collision between Indian and Eurasian plates going on underground for a long time which has accumulated tremendous energy,” Bharat Koirala, senior seismologist at the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, Nepal, was quoted by PTI.
Nepal is located at the boundary of these two plates and therefore lies in a highly active seismic region. the news agency stated. Therefore, earthquakes are common in Nepal.
“Western Nepal is under the threat of bigger earthquakes,” Koirala said and added, “There has not been a big earthquake in Western Nepal for the last 520 years. So a lot of energy has been accumulated and earthquakes are the only medium to release that energy.”
“From Gorkha (district) in western Nepal to Dehradun of India, lots of energy has been accumulated due to the tectonic movement. Therefore, small or big earthquakes are taking place in these areas to release the energy, which is normal,” Koirala said.
How Were Nepal Mountains Created? Origins Explain Why Its Prone To Quakes
The youngest mountain ranges in the world, the Himalayas have risen up as a result of the collision of the Eurasian plate, with Tibet at its southern edge, and the Indian continental plate and over the centuries have continued to evolve tectonically, which the seismologists said, advance two metres closer every century resulting in sudden release of elastic energy stored in the active geological faults inside the earth causing movement in the crust.
Data from the Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre shows that since January 1, 2023, till the end of that year, there were a total of 70 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 and above in Nepal.
Of these, as many as 13 were between magnitude 5 and 6 while three were above magnitude 6.0. Every day two or more magnitude earthquakes have been happening for centuries to release the energy accumulated through the tectonic plate movement, Koirala said.
Asserting that there is always the risk of occurrence of a bigger earthquake in western Nepal in the future, Koirala says, “There has not been any big or medium-sized earthquake around the Jajarkot area for the past 2-3 decades. But we cannot predict when and how big can happen?”
What Are Earthquakes, How Do They Happen?
The most visual identifier of an earthquake is violent shaking of the ground and everything over it. When it comes to aftershocks felt in the region from a big earthquake, it can range from strong tremors to mild shaking for a short period of time.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, an earthquake occurs without warning and results from the “release of accumulated stress of the moving lithospheric or crustal plates”. The earth’s crust is divided into seven major plates, which move slowly and continuously over its interior and several minor plates.
Earthquakes are tectonic in origin, which means that the moving plates are responsible for their occurrence and the shaking. An earthquake can claim lives in densely populated areas and cause large-scale destruction to public and private property. This is especially true for India, with its increasing population and rampant construction that puts the country at high risk.
It is not like India has not had its share of major earthquakes. The NDMA website states that in the last 15 years, the country has experienced 10 major earthquakes resulting in more than 20,000 deaths.
What Does India’s Seismic Activity Look Like?
The NDMA states that more than 59 percent of India’s land area is “under threat of moderate to severe seismic hazard”. The entire Himalayan belt is considered prone to earthquakes of magnitude exceeding 8.0 and, in a relatively short span of about 50 years, four such earthquakes have occurred: 1897 Shillong (magnitude 8.7); 1905 Kangra (magnitude 8.0); 1934 Bihar-Nepal (magnitude 8.3); and 1950 Assam-Tibet (magnitude 8.6).
Experts have warned of the likelihood of the occurrence of “very severe” earthquakes in the Himalayan region. Regions away from the Himalayas and other inter-plate boundaries were considered to be relatively safe at one point of time but that has changed in the recent past.
- Location :
Kathmandu, Nepal
