The earthquake, which occurred during the night, struck the western part of Jajarkot, a mountainous region inhabited by 190,000 people, located about 500 kilometers west of the capital, Kathmandu.
It is currently not possible to contact Ramidanda, the epicenter of the earthquake. Deaths have been reported in several parts of the region, but the number is expected to rise further.
Rescue and search teams wishing to reach affected areas must first clear roads blocked by landslides caused by the earthquake. At least twenty people were taken to hospital due to their injuries. Many homes and roads were damaged.
Nepal’s National Seismological Center said the quake’s magnitude was 6.4, but the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) later reduced its magnitude to 5.7, and the US Geological Survey estimated its magnitude at 5.6. According to eyewitnesses, tremors could be felt as far as New Delhi, India.
Nepal experiences earthquakes often. In 2015, about nine thousand people were killed by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake. Entire cities, ancient temples and other historical sites were reduced to rubble, and more than a million homes were destroyed.
