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Nepal earthquake news: The strong magnitude earthquake of 6.4 hit Nepal on Friday night leaving 132 people dead and several injured, with officials saying that the death toll is expected to rise. The impact of the quake was felt in Delhi-NCR and several other neighbouring states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar. Earlier on 15 October, both Delhi and NCR had felt strong tremors, after similar jolts were felt on 3 October.
Amid this, a seismologist has warned that people should remain ‘vigilant’ ‘alert’ and ‘ready’, since the central belt of Nepal has been classified as an ‘actively energy releasing sector’, a report by India Today has stated. The epicentre of Friday’s earthquake, according to seismologist Ajay Paul, formerly of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, was in the Doti district in Nepal, as reported by the daily. Further adding, he told India Today that the area was also affected by the series of earthquakes that hit Nepal on October 3 which is located in Nepal’s central belt but little to the West.
A number of scientists had earlier, according to India Today report, predicted that “a great earthquake” will hit “anytime” in the Himalayan region as Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates are colliding as it is moves north. The earth’s crust is broken into distinct regions called tectonic plates. The Himalayas was formed with the Indian plate constantly pushing against the Eurasian plate for over millions of years.
Earlier in March this year too, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) Chief scientist had issued a warning regarding the heightened risk of a catastrophic earthquake occurring unexpectedly. Warning of the “possibility of a greater earthquake”, Chief Scientist Dr N Purnachandra Rao had said that the surface of the Earth is composed of several tectonic plates that remain in continuous motion. One of these plates, the Indian plate, is currently moving at a rate of approximately 5 cm per year, resulting in stress along the Himalayas.
“Earth’s surface comprises various plates that are constantly in motion. The Indian plate is moving about 5 cm per year, leading to accumulation of stress along the Himalayas increasing the possibility of a greater earthquake,” Dr N Purnachandra Rao was quoted as saying by ANI.
Nepal is situated on the ridge where the Tibetan and Indian tectonic plates meet and advance two meters closer to one another every century which results in pressure which is released in the form of earthquakes.
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Updated: 04 Nov 2023, 10:43 AM IST
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