At least 128 people have tragically lost their lives and dozens more have been injured in Nepal after a powerful earthquake struck the western area of Jajarkot. The devastating tremors caused houses to collapse and even shook buildings as far as New Delhi in neighboring India.
The earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale according to Nepal’s National Seismological Centre, occurred at 11:47 pm on Friday. However, the German Research Centre for Geosciences measured it at 5.7, downgrading it from 6.2, while the US Geological Survey recorded it as 5.6.
This latest earthquake is the deadliest since 2015, when Nepal experienced two major earthquakes that claimed the lives of approximately 9,000 people. The Himalayan country suffered immense destruction during that time, with entire towns, centuries-old temples, and other historic sites reduced to rubble. Over a million houses were destroyed, resulting in an estimated economic cost of $6 billion.
Rescue and relief operations are underway, but authorities fear that the death toll may rise as they struggle to establish contact with the hilly area near the epicenter, some 500 kilometers (300 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu. The tremors were also felt in this region. The district, with a population of 190,000, consists of scattered villages in remote hills.
Harish Chandra Sharma, an official from Jajarkot district, expressed concerns about the number of casualties, stating, The number of injured could be in the hundreds, and the deaths could go up as well.
This devastating earthquake serves as a tragic reminder of the vulnerability of Nepal to seismic activity, with its location within a seismically active region. The impacts of such natural disasters go beyond the immediate loss of life, causing widespread damage to infrastructure and leaving communities in social and economic distress.
Efforts are currently underway to assess the extent of the damage and provide support to those affected. International aid and cooperation will be crucial in helping Nepal recover from this latest tragedy. The global community must rally together to mitigate the devastating impacts of natural disasters and support countries like Nepal in their recovery and resilience-building efforts.
