The earth shook in Nepal on Friday evening. Eyewitnesses report collapsed buildings.
An earthquake struck Nepal late on Friday evening. According to measurements by the US Earthquake Observatory USGS, it had a magnitude of 5.6 and occurred at a depth of around 18 kilometers. The center was about 400 kilometers northeast of the capital Kathmandu in the Jajarkot area. According to initial reports, there are said to have been at least 69 deaths. “Rescue and search teams have to clear roads blocked by landslides caused by the earthquake to reach the affected areas,” said Namaraj Bhattarai, a police officer in one of the affected areas.
According to a report in the Times of India, the quake was felt as far away as New Delhi in India. The newspaper also reported eyewitnesses who spoke of collapsed buildings. The newspaper reports at least 37 deaths and cites statements from local authorities. Officials are quoted as saying that communication with Jarjakot has broken down.
The Himalayan region, in which Nepal is located, is geologically extremely active. There the Indian continental plate is pushing under the Eurasian plate at a rate of around two centimeters per year – which repeatedly leads to strong earthquakes.
Around eight years ago – in spring 2015 – a severe earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 (according to Nepalese information: 7.6) shook the area around the capital Kathmandu. The number of deaths rose to around 9,000 at that time. Millions of people were left homeless.