The nightmare relived itself when a severe earthquake, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale, struck a remote region in western Nepal during the night, claiming at least 132 lives. This is according to the latest toll released on Saturday by local authorities. In a relentless search for potential survivors, rescue teams, alongside security forces, have been dispatched to the devastated region.
The tremor, which hit late on Friday, had its epicenter 42 kilometers south of Jumla, not far from the Tibet border, and occurred at a depth of 18 kilometers, as per the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The hardest-hit areas were reportedly Jajarkot and Rukum, where 92 and 40 people perished respectively. The districts lie in the bordering Karnali province, where over a hundred others have sustained injuries, according to Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Police spokesperson Kuber Katayat mentioned that the number of injured in the two districts is over a hundred, highlighting the extensive damages caused by the seismic event. Reinforcements have been deployed to aid search and rescue operations, Gopal Chandra Bhattarai, a spokesperson for Karnali province police told France Presse.
The remote nature of these areas has made information relay quite challenging. Some roads have been blocked due to ensuing damages, although attempts are underway to reach the affected regions through alternative means. Residents have been rushing the injured to Jajarkot regional hospital. Visuals shared on social media depict locals rummaging through debris in the dark, trying to pull out survivors from the ruins of collapsed buildings. Scenes of devastated mud houses and survivors camping outdoors to avoid potential aftershocks capture the grim reality on the ground.
Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal, who visited the affected area on Saturday, expressed his deep sorrow for the human and material losses caused by the earthquake. The tremor was followed by several aftershocks measuring around 4 degrees in the same area, as per the USGS, which were felt as far as New Delhi, situated 500 kilometers from the earthquake’s epicenter. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his profound sorrow for the human loss in Nepal, affirming India’s solidarity with the Nepalese people and its readiness to provide any necessary assistance.
Nepal, unfortunately, is no stranger to seismic activities due to its geographical location on a major geological fault where the Indian tectonic plate dives beneath the Eurasian plate, forming the Himalayan mountain range. Nearly 9,000 people lost their lives back in 2015 when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal, destroying over half a million homes and 8,000 schools. The tremor also inflicted irreparable damage to hundreds of monuments and royal palaces, including sites in Kathmandu Valley listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, dealing a severe blow to Nepal’s tourism. The tragedy did not end there; six individuals lost their lives in November 2022 when a 5.6 magnitude quake hit the nearby Doti region close to Jumla, showcasing the persistent seismic threat Nepal continues to face.
