The number of those killed in the earthquake of 6.4 magnitude which shook western Nepal just before midnight Friday has climbed to 140, according to the Prime Minister’s secretariat. An equal number of people were injured in the incident. The death toll is expected to rise.
Officials told Associated Press that communication was cut off with many places. Around 159 aftershocks have been recorded following last night’s earthquake, as per the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center reported.
Both Nepal Army and Nepal Police personnel have been mobilized to carry out rescue works. Landslides triggered by the tremor and its aftershocks obstructed certain trails for the rescuers.
According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the magnitude of the earthquake on the Richter Scale was recorded at 6.4 and the epicentre of the quake was in Nepal at a depth of 10 km.
The earthquake, which was centred near the western temple town of Jumla in Nepal, struck around 11:32 pm, the NCS said. Nepal’s National Earthquake Monitoring & Research Center said its epicentre was at Jajarkot, which is about 250 miles northeast of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu.
Nepal PM visits affected areas
Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ headed towards the incident site with a medical team Saturday morning.
Earlier, he took to Twitter and expressed grief over the damage caused by the earthquake. “Honorable Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” has expressed his deep sorrow over the human and material damage caused by the earthquake at Ramidanda in Jajarkot at 11:47 on Friday night and has mobilized all 3 security agencies for the immediate rescue and relief of the injured,” Nepal PMO posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Tremors felt in northern India
The earthquake in Nepal triggered strong tremors in Delhi and northern India, sending people rushing out of their homes late at night on Friday.
The tremors were also felt in several districts including, Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Expressing his grief over the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India stands in solidarity with Nepal and will extend all possible assistance. “Deeply saddened by loss of lives and damage due to the earthquake in Nepal. India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is ready to extend all possible assistance. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and we wish the injured a quick recovery,” he in a tweet on X Saturday.
Second earthquake in Nepal in one month
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This was the second earthquake measuring more than 6 in Nepal in the last one month. On October 2, a quake of magnitude 6.2 had hit the country.
Like the previous month’s incident, the latest quake too was quite shallow, originating about 10 km below the earth’s surface, the NCS said. Earthquakes originating at smaller depths are usually more powerful and have more destructive power.
Friday’s earthquake was the strongest in Nepal in more than eight years. The April 2015 earthquake had killed close to 10,000 people.
—With inputs from AP
