Nepal has once again experienced seismic tremors, just days after a catastrophic quake claimed the lives of 153 people.
On Monday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported a magnitude 5.6 earthquake, followed by slightly weaker tremors, resulting in injuries to three individuals.
Geethakumari Bista, a survivor of the recent earthquake, recounted the harrowing experience of losing her younger daughter while being rescued. In a report to BBC, she shared, “We three were in the same room on the top floor. Everything happened so suddenly. We couldn't understand what was happening.”
While rescuers managed to save her elder daughter, they couldn’t reach her 14-year-old younger daughter. Bista recalled the frantic moments, stating, “People shouted around. The armed police came and I shouted: ‘I am alive, too…’”
Nepal, situated at the convergence of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, ranks as the 11th most earthquake-prone country in the world, experiencing frequent seismic activity due to this geologically sensitive location. The constant collision of these tectonic plates leads to the accumulation of energy, ultimately manifesting as earthquakes, experts explain.
Seismologists warn that the western region of Nepal has not experienced a major earthquake for over five centuries, leading to the accumulation of substantial energy in the region. Earthquakes serve as a means to release this built-up energy resulting from the movement of tectonic plates, manifesting as both small and large seismic events.
Data from the Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre reveals that, since the beginning of this year, Nepal has witnessed a total of 70 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 and above. Among these, 13 registered between magnitudes 5 and 6, while three exceeded a magnitude of 6.0.
With the injuries sustained in the recent aftershocks, the total number of individuals affected by a series of earthquakes in Nepal has risen to 266. At least 16 people were injured in the western region of Jajarkot on Monday as a result of three tremors exceeding a magnitude of 4.0. This comes in the wake of Nepal’s worst earthquake in eight years, which tragically claimed the lives of 153 people and left a total of 266 others injured.
In response to the ongoing seismic events, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has convened an all-party meeting on Tuesday to address the aftermath of the recent Jajarkot earthquake and to discuss the latest developments.
Dr. Amod Dixit, a seismologist and the executive director of the National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET), explains that Sunday's earthquake occurred in the central belt of Nepal, classified as an “actively energy-releasing sector” with a history of producing large earthquakes.
The recent seismic activity remains the ongoing challenge Nepal is facing due to its geologic setting, necessitating vigilant monitoring and preparedness to mitigate the impact of earthquakes on its population and infrastructure.
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