At least 132 people were killed and over 100 injured as rescuers searched mountain villages after a strong earthquake of 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal. Officials added that the toll was expected to rise, noting that communications were cut off in many places in the Himalayan country.
Notably, the mountainous country is often hit by tremors, with the last major incident occurring in 2015 and killing 9,000 people. Local historical sites and temples were destroyed in the 2015 Nepal earthquake, besides entire towns and over a million houses being razed to the ground, Reuters reported. The event cost the Nepal economy $6 billion, it added.
The deadliest earthquake prior to 2015 occurred in 1934, claiming the lives of at least 8,519 people in Nepal and causing additional casualties in India, the report noted.
Even this time, the impact of the quake was felt in Delhi-NCR and several other neighbouring states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar. Earlier on October 15, both Delhi and NCR had felt strong tremors, after similar jolts were felt on October 3.
April 2015: Nepal experienced its most devastating earthquake, striking at four minutes to midday on April 25. This earthquake measured a magnitude of 7.8 and was followed by a second tremor 17 days later, resulting in a total of 9,000 casualties.
September 16, 2020: A magnitude 6 earthquake shook Nepal, with tremors felt in the capital, Kathmandu.
November 9, 2022: A quake in western Nepal led to the tragic loss of at least six villagers, including four children, as it destroyed mud and brick houses in remote communities nestled in the Himalayan foothills.
November 12, 2022: An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 struck Nepal, causing tremors and shaking houses in both Nepal and India.
January 24, 2023: A quake with a magnitude of 5.6 on this date resulted in the loss of one life and damage to more than two dozen houses in a remote district of Nepal. Tremors from this earthquake were felt as far as New Delhi.
October 3, 2023: Western Nepal faced two successive earthquakes on October 3, 2023, measuring magnitudes 6.3 and 5.3. These quakes injured 17 people, damaged homes, and triggered a landslide that blocked a major highway in the Bajhang district, bordering India.
November 3, 2023: A strong earthquake struck the western area of Jajarkot on this date, resulting in at least 132 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. The quake caused house collapses and even shook buildings in the neighboring capital of New Delhi in India. The German Research Centre for Geosciences recorded the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.7, while the US Geological Survey measured it at 5.6.
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