Just days after a powerful earthquake in Nepal claimed the lives of 157 people and injured dozens more, another earthquake struck, compounding the already dire situation.
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The sequence of earthquakes began with a jolt that occurred on November 3, 2023. This earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.4, left destruction.
However, discrepancies in the reported magnitude by various seismological centers, such as the German Research Centre for Geosciences and the US Geological Survey, added to the confusion in assessing the scale of the disaster.
The impact was evident, with 157 lives lost, many injured, and buildings damaged. Just when the people of Nepal were struggling with the aftermath of this earthquake, another tremor, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale, struck on November 6, 2023.
This second earthquake further compounded the misery of the affected regions, leaving them in a shock and desperation.
The affected areas, particularly the Jajarkot and Rukum West districts in western Nepal, bore the brunt of the destruction.
In Jajarkot alone, around 8,000 houses, both public and private, were damaged, leaving residents without shelter.
The loss of lives, property, and infrastructure has left the local population and in need of immediate assistance.
The search and rescue operations have been hampered by landslides triggered by the earthquakes, which have blocked roads to the affected areas.
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This complicates the efforts to reach those in need and provide them with essential relief. Both national and the world have rallied to provide assistance to the affected communities.
India, in particular, has stepped up its relief efforts, dispatching two truckloads of emergency relief materials and a team of security personnel to the affected regions.
An Indian Air Force C-130 flight landed in Nepal carrying the first consignment of emergency relief materials worth Rs 10 crore.
These materials include plastic tarpaulins, tents, blankets, sleeping bags, medicines, and other essential supplies.
Many areas are difficult to access due to the damaged infrastructure and the mountainous terrain, which poses logistical challenges.
Moreover, the survivors are facing a shortage of food, clothing, and medicines, which makes the relief efforts a race against time.
The earthquake has not only claimed lives but has also left survivors with tragic stories of loss and resilience.
Families have been torn apart, with many loss of their loved ones. People who once had homes and a sense of security now find themselves sleeping outdoors in the cold, with no roof above their heads.
Survivors in the remote Jajarkot district have been left in need of aid. Mourners have gathered around funeral pyres to send off their loved ones who perished in the earthquake, their tears mingling with the smoke and ashes.
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The trauma of the earthquake’s sudden and violent arrival in the middle of the night has left a scar on the memory of the affected communities.
Nepal is situated in a seismically active region where the Indian tectonic plate slides beneath the Eurasian plate. This tectonic collision results in frequent earthquakes and heightened seismic vulnerability.
The Indian plate’s gradual convergence with the Eurasian plate at a rate of approximately 47 mm/year creates immense geological stress, leading to the release of energy in the form of earthquakes.
This phenomenon has seismologists for years, and it poses a threat to the safety and stability of the region.
Landslides triggered by the earthquakes have blocked roads and search and rescue operations. This has left people in the affected areas, with a hope of immediate assistance.
The landslides have only compounded the challenges faced by both the authorities and relief organizations.
The situation is distressing in Aathbiskot, where earthquake survivor Ganesh Malla is receiving treatment for his wounds.
He recalls being airlifted to a hospital, leaving behind his two deceased daughters. His wife and son are also injured, but their whereabouts remain unknown.
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