- An earthquake struck Nepal late on Friday evening.
- It reached a magnitude of 5.6, as reported by the US Earthquake Observatory and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center.
- News agencies, citing authorities, reported at least 128 deaths and dozens of injuries.
According to various earthquake monitors, the center of the quake, which occurred shortly before midnight (local time), was around 300 kilometers northwest of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. The national earthquake center of Nepal initially estimated the quake to have a magnitude of 6.4.
Prime Minister: deep sadness
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed deep sadness over the casualties and damage, his office said. Accordingly, he also mobilized the country’s security authorities. The number of victims is likely to rise, especially since there was initially no confirmed information from several areas cut off from the outside world.
The quake was also felt in the north of neighboring India, including in the capital New Delhi, as the Times of India and other Indian media reported.
Geologically very active region
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 about two centimeters per year. This process repeatedly leads to strong earthquakes.
In spring 2015, a severe earthquake of magnitude 7.8 (according to Nepalese information: 7.6) shook the area around the capital Kathmandu. The number of deaths rose to around 9,000. Millions of people became homeless.