On Tuesday, two powerful earthquakes rocked western Nepal, leaving 11 individuals injured and causing significant damage to homes. Additionally, these seismic events triggered a landslide that blocked a crucial highway, as confirmed by authorities. The quakes, measuring 6.3 and 5.3 in magnitude, struck the Bajhang district, situated along the border with India. Following the tremors, a landslide occurred in the area, impeding access to the southern plains. This information was relayed by Rama Acharya, an official from the interior ministry, in an update provided to Reuters.
The epicenters of these seismic disturbances were identified in the regions of Talkot and Chainpur, and the tremors occurred with a relatively short interval of around 30 minutes. According to reports from police official Bharat Bahadur Shah, a total of 11 people, comprising seven women and four men, sustained injuries during the event. They are currently receiving medical attention. Tragically, one woman is reported missing, having been caught in a separate landslip induced by the earthquake. District authority figure, Narayan Pandey, disclosed that one of the injured was struck by a falling object, and in the town of Chainpur, several residences collapsed as a result of the seismic activity.
The impact of the earthquakes was felt far beyond Nepal’s borders, reaching as far as New Delhi, the capital of India. In response, residents evacuated their homes and office buildings. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of significant damage in the Indian capital. The Hindustan Times reported that the tremors persisted for over 40 seconds, prompting panic among residents who rushed outside. Furthermore, NDTV relayed that tremors were also experienced in various locations, including Lucknow, Hapur, and Amroha in the state of Uttar Pradesh, as well as parts of Uttarakhand.
In light of the seismic activity, the Delhi police issued an advisory urging citizens to refrain from using elevators and to promptly vacate buildings for safety reasons. This precautionary measure was taken in consideration of potential aftershocks or further tremors. Meanwhile, a day prior to the events in Nepal, a Dutch research organization had made a prediction of a powerful earthquake along the Chaman fault line in Balochistan, Pakistan. However, it is worth noting that these forecasts by the Dutch institute have been met with skepticism and contradiction from scientists, seismologists, and geologists.
