The magnitude 5.6 earthquake was measured at a depth of 18 km according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It hit the far west of the Himalayan country late Friday night. Its epicenter was located 42 km south of Jumla, not far from the border with Tibet. The tremors were felt as far away as the capital New Delhi.
The death toll in Nepal earthquake reaches 140, more than 100s inured.
Jajarkot and West Rukum are the worst hit region.
PM Prachanda visits the affected areas and met with families. pic.twitter.com/mP48M3kTMV
— This and That (@ThisandTha63539) November 4, 2023
"92 people died in Jajarkot and 40 in Rukum," Home Ministry spokesman Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said, citing the two districts so far most affected by the quake, located south of the epicenter in the border province of Karnali. More than 100 people were injured in the two districts, Nepal police spokesman Kuber Kathayat said.
Nepalese security forces have been widely deployed to the quake-affected areas to assist in relief efforts, according to Karnali provincial police spokesman Gopal Chandra Bhattarai. "The isolation of the districts makes it difficult to transmit information," he added. "Some roads are blocked because of the damage, but we are trying to reach the area by other routes." In Jajarkot, the area hospital was stormed by residents carrying the wounded.
Videos and photos posted on social media show residents digging through the rubble in the dark to extract survivors from collapsed buildings.
At least 128 people killed in #Nepal after a 6.4 magnitude #earthquake devastated the districts of #Jajarkot and #Rukum (West).#NepalEarthquake #earthquakeinnepal #Tremorsinnepal #jajarkotearthquake pic.twitter.com/ea228BSoqc
— IndiaObservers (@IndiaObservers) November 4, 2023
It shows destroyed or damaged mud houses and survivors outside to protect themselves from possible future collapses, while the sirens of emergency vehicles wail.
Tremors felt as far away as New Delhi
Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal arrived in the affected area on Saturday after expressing "deep sadness for the human and physical damage caused by the earthquake."
#WATCH | Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' arrives in Jajarkot and meets the people affected by the earthquake that struck the region last night.
The death toll in the 6.4 magnitude earthquake stands at 129.
(Video Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/sty7recDgR
— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2023
Moderate tremors were felt as far away as New Delhi, India's capital nearly 500 km from the epicenter. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life in Nepal. "India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and stands ready to provide them with all possible assistance," he added.
Earthquakes are common in Nepal, which sits on a major geological fault where the Indian tectonic plate sinks into the Eurasian plate, forming the Himalayan range. The quake was followed several hours later by magnitude 4 aftershocks in the same area, according to the USGS.
Nearly 9,000 people died in 2015 when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, destroying more than half a million homes and 8,000 schools. Hundreds of royal monuments and palaces – including sites in the UNESCO-listed Kathmandu Valley that attract tourists from all over the world – had suffered irreversible damage, dealing a major blow to Nepalese tourism.