A strong earthquake struck western Nepal with a magnitude of 6.4 on the midnight of 3 November 2023. According to the latest reports, the death toll has reported more than 150 people died and about 199 injured.
The strong tumors were also felt in Delhi with a magnitude of 5.9. People took to social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to share the news and videos of the Earthquake.
Nepal authorities and aid organizations have rushed to provide relief for thousands of families stranded under the open sky and fearful of aftershocks. On 4 November, a magnitude of 4.2 was felt in Nepal as an aftershock.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent support to rescue the victims.
Rescuers are working through the day to push through roads blocked by landslides and debris to reach the mountainous villages of Karnali Province where the Earthquake struck.
Causalities after the Earthquake
Officials cautioned that the death toll and number of injured people are likely to rise as communication was restored with areas that had been cut off.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the magnitude as 5.6. Nepal’s National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center reported the magnitude at 6.4, with several small aftershocks spread over the following hours. It is not uncommon for estimates of this natural disaster’s magnitude to differ or for them to be subsequently revised.
It is one of the most disastrous earthquakes with causalities after the Morocco earthquake that cost many lives, leaving many people homeless.
Nepal army, Nepal Sentinel, and other armed police forces are deployed for the rescue operation in the areas of heavy causalities. Helicopters are used to take victims to the hospitals. Health workers also reached the spot by taking health equipment from the surrounding districts through helicopters.
Why did the Earthquake hit Western Nepal?
Earthquake that hit western Nepal have an impact on the Gangetic plains. These plains have soft soil in the region that amplifies seismic energy originating from the Himalayan belt, seismologists said.
While seismologists warned that consecutive earthquakes are foretelling bigger seismic shocks in the western Nepal Himalayan region, an examination of the preliminary reports published by the NCS paints a geographical picture of the parts of India that experience these Nepal quakes and hence are susceptible to them.
The epicenter was 6 Km from Nayakwada in Nepal. Many more tremors as an aftershock can come after many days in or near the region.
Conclusion
People have to be aware of the immediate precautions taken in such natural disasters. The government of Nepal has released a helpline number for the help of the victims and their families.
The Indian government has also released a helpline number for the Indians in Nepal in this time of emergency.
Earthquakes are common in Nepal as the country resides on the fault line of the Himalayas. It is high time to educate people about the precautions and prevention methods of natural disasters.
