Disasters & Accidents

Magnitude 5.6 quake jolts Nepal

Kathmandu, Jan 24 (EFE).- A magnitude 5.6 earthquake jolted northwestern Nepal and some parts of neighboring India Tuesday.

The authorities reported no damage due to the tremor.

The temblor struck at 2.43 p.m. local time, with its epicenter in the Bajura district, a mountainous region in the Sudurpashchim province, the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center said.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which measured the earthquake intensity at 5.6, said there was a moderate risk of casualties.

The tremors were felt in parts of north India, including the capital New Delhi and its suburbs, forcing many to rush out of their houses.

Nepal is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.

People live in houses highly-vulnerable to earthquakes, though some resistant structures exist.

According to the Asian Preparedness Partnership (APP), an alliance to coordinate emergency response in Asia, eight out of 10 people in Nepal are vulnerable to earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides, extreme temperatures, and glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

On Apr.25, 2015, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Nepal that toppled multi-story buildings in the capital Kathmandu and triggered landslides and avalanches in the mountains.

Nearly 9,000 people died and more than 22,000 suffered injuries.

The Himalayan nation is still rebuilding after the devastating earthquakes that razed towns and villages, causing damage in billions of dollars. EFE

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