6.0 magnitude earthquake rocks Nepal, no damage, deaths reported
What's the story
Nepal was rocked early on Sunday by an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale. According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre (NEMRC), the earthquake struck 147 kilometers to the east-southeast of Kathmandu in Nepal at 8:13 am IST at Martim Birta in the Khotang district. No documented damage or deaths have been reported as of yet.
Context
Why does this story matter?
It has been determined that the Indian tectonic plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian plate at a rate of 5 centimeters per year. This is the cause of the formation and growing height of the Himalayas' young fold mountains, but it also makes the region vulnerable to earthquakes. Natural disasters such as earthquakes can cause havoc if enough preparation isn't in place.
Details
Details about the earthquake
The earthquake's epicenter's depth was measured at 10 km in eastern Nepal and determined to be 27.14° northern latitude and 86.67° eastern longitude. A 6.0 earthquake on the Richter scale is considered a "strong" earthquake, having the potential to destroy life and property. The recent Nepal earthquakes have resulted in several enormous losses, necessitating the need for well-thought-out governmental measures to manage such calamities.
Fact
The 2015 Nepal earthquake killed 8,964 and injured 22,000 people
On April 25, 2015, a high-intensity earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale rocked central Nepal between Kathmandu and Pokhara. It is estimated that 8,964 people were killed and almost 22,000 were injured. The earthquake, known as the Gorkha earthquake, also affected numerous cities in north India, and tremors were detected in Lahore, Pakistan; Lhasa, Tibet; and Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2015 earthquake
Details regarding 2015 earthquake
After the 2015 earthquake, Kathmandu's international airport was closed. Furthermore, the earthquake also created an avalanche on Mount Everest, which killed 22 people. On May 12, 2015, a significant aftershock occurred, with the epicenter of the quake being near the Chinese border between Kathmandu and Mount Everest. This earthquake is estimated to have killed over 200 people and injured over 2,500 more.
Do you know?
Most severe Nepal earthquake recorded in 1934
In 1934, Nepal experienced its most devastating earthquake ever recorded. The earthquake had a magnitude of 8.0 and was responsible for the destruction of several cities like Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan.