Another earthquake of 3.6 magnitude strikes Nepal

KATHMANDU: While Nepal is still grappling with the devastating earthquake that has resulted in over 157 fatalities, another earthquake, measuring 3.6 in magnitude, shook the Himalayan nation in the early hours of Sunday.

The earthquake occurred at 04:38:20 (IST) at the depth of 10 km, 169 km NW of Kathmandu, the National Centre for Seismology informed.

"Earthquake of Magnitude: 3.6, Occurred on 05-11-2023, 04:38:20 IST, Lat: 28.63 & Long: 83.94, Depth: 10 Km, Location: 169 km NW of Kathmandu, Nepal," NCS posted on X (formerly Twitter).

This comes after a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 on Richter Scale jolted Nepal in the late hours of Saturday. This was followed by additional aftershocks, with a magnitude of 3.3, on Saturday afternoon, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the affected population and testing the resilience of the region.

Earlier in the day, Nepal Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, assessed the situation visited the affected regions, acknowledging the extensive damage.

In response, the government has mobilised the Nepal Army, Nepali Sentinel, and the Armed Police Force to conduct rescue operations via helicopters. Health workers are also being rapidly deployed, equipped with essential medical supplies sourced from surrounding districts.

"There has been a lot of damage in the earthquake-affected area. Hundreds of people are injured, thousands of houses have been destroyed, and our government is engaged in relief work. We have deployed the Nepali Army, Nepali Sentinel. The Armed Police Force has been given the responsibility of taking all the injured to the hospitals for rescue through helicopters," said the Nepal PM.

India, Nepal's neighbouring nation, has extended support during this challenging period. Following the initial earthquake, India released an emergency contact number for Indians in Nepal requiring urgent assistance.

"Alert Emergency Contact Number for Indians requiring assistance due to the recent earthquake in Nepal: +977-9851316807 MEA India," the Indian Embassy in Nepal posted on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of lives and extensive damage caused by the earthquake in Nepal.

PM Modi offered support to Nepal and expressed India's willingness to extend all possible assistance. The earthquake's impact has not been confined to Nepal alone. Tremors were felt in several districts of North India, including Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.