Nepal Earthquake Seismologist said that a lot of energy has been accumulated due to tectonic movements from Gorkha (district) of western Nepal to Dehradun in India. Therefore, it is normal for small or large earthquakes to occur in these areas to release energy.
Nepal Earthquake 143 people have died due to the massive earthquake that occurred in Nepal last night. Hundreds of people are said to be injured in the 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Jajarkot district, 500 km from Kathmandu. The earthquake has occurred thrice in Nepal within a month.
Why do so many earthquakes occur in Nepal and why is there a danger of a major earthquake in its western part, let us know in the words of a seismologist…
Bharat Koirala, senior seismologist at Nepal’s National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, said Nepal, located in the dangerous Himalayan seismic zone, is a highly earthquake-prone country and its earthquake-prone western mountainous region is at risk of major earthquakes.
Nepal is the 11th most earthquake-prone country
According to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report, Nepal is the 11th most earthquake-prone country in the world.
The powerful earthquake that hit the western mountainous region of Nepal last night was also not the first. Let us tell you that in 2023, more than 70 earthquakes occurred in the country.
Earthquakes are common in Nepal
According to Koirana, there has been a collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates for a long time, due to which tremendous energy has accumulated. Nepal lies on the boundary of these two plates and hence lies in a highly active seismic zone. Therefore earthquakes are common in Nepal.
Nepal sitting on the verge of a major earthquake
Speaking to news agency PTI, Koirala said that western Nepal is at risk of major earthquakes. This is because there has been no major earthquake in western Nepal for the last 520 years and hence a lot of energy has been stored. This is why Nepal is sitting on the cusp of a major earthquake.
Rapidly increasing tectonic movement
The seismologist said that from Gorkha (district) in western Nepal to Dehradun in India, a lot of energy has been stored due to tectonic movements. Therefore, it is normal for small or large earthquakes to occur in these areas to release energy.
Data from the Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center shows that a total of 70 earthquakes of magnitude 4 and above have occurred in Nepal since January 1, 2023. Of these, 13 had an intensity between 5 and 6, while three were above 6.
9000 people were killed in 2015
Let us tell you that earlier in 2015, about 9000 people were killed and about 22,000 people were injured in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks in Nepal. A total of 35 lakh people were rendered homeless by this earthquake.
