More than 130 people were killed by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred last night in a remote area of western Nepal, authorities announced today, deploying security forces to help with rescue efforts.
The earthquake had its epicenter 42 km south of Jumla, near the border with Tibet, and was located only 18 kilometers deep, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
“92 people died in Jajarkot and 40 in Rukum,” Interior Ministry spokesman Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told the AFP news agency, referring to the two districts hardest hit by the shock.
Meanwhile, the national police spokesman, Kuber Kathayat, pointed out that the authorities had counted more than 100 injuries in these two districts.
Videos and photographs posted on social media showed local people digging through the rubble of destroyed buildings in the middle of the night in search of survivors.
Mud houses collapsed or were severely damaged and survivors fled to safety outside, where the sirens of emergency vehicles could be heard.
The shock was felt in the capital of India, New Delhi, located almost 500 kilometers from the epicenter.
Likewise, the police spokesman for Karnali province, Gopal Chandra Bhattarai, explained to AFP that they had deployed a large number of security forces to help in the search and rescue tasks.
“The isolation of the districts makes it difficult for information to reach,” he said. “Some roads were blocked due to the damage, but we are trying to reach the area via alternative routes.”
The district hospital was filled with residents bringing people injured by the earthquake.
This morning, Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal arrived in the affected area after expressing “his deep sorrow for the human and physical damage caused by the earthquake.”
“The Government is determined to help the victims and care for the injured,” he said.
His Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of life. “India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is prepared to extend all possible assistance,” he added.
Nepal is located on a major geological fault line where the Indian tectonic plate pushes up the Eurasian plate, forming the Himalayas, and where earthquakes are common.
Nearly 9,000 people died in Nepal in 2015 when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook the country and destroyed more than half a million homes.
Source: Ambito
