Nepal Earthquake News: According to the Nepal government’s post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) report, the Himalayan state is the 11th most earthquake-prone country in the world.
Asserting that there is always the risk of a bigger earthquake in western Nepal in the future, Koirala says, “There has not been any big or medium-sized earthquake around the Jajarkot area for the past 2-3 decades. But we cannot predict when and how big can happen?”
What Are Earthquakes, and How Do They Happen?
The most visual identifier of an earthquake is the violent shaking of the ground and everything over it. The aftershocks felt in the region from a big earthquake can range from strong tremors to mild shaking for a short period.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, earthquakes occur without warning and result from the “release of accumulated stress of the moving lithospheric or crustal plates.” The earth’s crust is divided into seven major plates, which move slowly and continuously over its interior and several minor plates.
Earthquakes are tectonic in origin, which means that moving plates are responsible for their occurrence and shaking. An earthquake can claim lives in densely populated areas and cause large-scale destruction to public and private property. This is especially true for India, with its increasing population and rampant construction, which puts the country at high risk.
It is not like India has not had its share of significant earthquakes. The NDMA website states that in the last 15 years, the country has experienced 10 major earthquakes, resulting in more than 20,000 deaths.
The NDMA states that more than 59 percent of India’s land area is “under threat of moderate to severe seismic hazard.” The entire Himalayan belt is considered prone to earthquakes of magnitude exceeding 8.0, and four such earthquakes have occurred in a relatively short span of about 50 years: 1897 Shillong (magnitude 8.7), 1905 Kangra (magnitude 8.0), 1934 Bihar-Nepal (magnitude 8.3), and 1950 Assam-Tibet (magnitude 8.6).
Experts have warned earthquakes in the Himalayas are rare and likely to occur in the region. Regions away from At one point, regionsalayas and other inter-plate boundaries were considered to be relatively close in the recent past.
