Tuesday’s Quake Toll Touches 42 in Nepal

12 May, Kathmandu

A Fresh powerful earthquake and several strong after shocks shook Nepal Tuesday killing at least 42 people and triggering panic in the Himalayan nation already devastated by a massive temblor less than three weeks back that had claimed over 8,000 lives.

The earthquake sent strong tremors through several eastern and northern parts of India leaving 19 dead while 39 others injured.

Nepal’s Home Ministry while putting the death toll at 42 said another 1,117 people had been injured in the latest quake that hit hardest in remote mountain districts northeast of the country’s capital Kathmandu.

The earthquake struck at 12:35 PM, some 83 km east of Kathmandu near Mount Everest at a shallow depth of 15 km, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The agency had earlier measured the quake at 7.4 on the Richter Scale but later revised the intensity to 7.3.

The quake hit Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk districts – the worst-affected areas in the last month’s temblor. At least 19 people were killed in Dolakha, police said. A second tremor of 6.3-magnitude struck about 30 minutes after the 7.3-magnitude quake.

There were five more aftershocks measuring over 5 on the Richter Scale after the second tremor. Nepal’s National Emergency Operation Centre said All available helicopters along with Medical Team; SSR Team going to be mobilised to Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk soon. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has stationed eight helicopters in Nepal and one of them conducted an aerial survey soon after the quake.

Nepal’s only international airport, the Tribhuvan International Airport, was briefly closed by authorities and flights to Kathmandu were diverted.

Authorities have also ordered all schools to be closed for the next two weeks. Today’s quake had its impact in several cities in Bihar,West Bengal and UP and tremors were felt across vast stretches of east and northeast India.The tremors were also felt in China, where one woman was killed in Tibet.