High earthquake risk in Nepal: How do earthquakes occur?
Nepali officials have shared their observations following the earthquake felt on Tuesday morning.
KATHMANDU: The National Seismological Research Center has confirmed that the epicenter of Tuesday morning’s earthquake, felt across Nepal, was in Dinggyê County, Tibet, near the Nepal-China border.
According to the center, the epicenter was located approximately 125 kilometers northeast of Lobuche in the Khumbu region.
The tremors were felt at 6:50 AM.
Efforts to assess damage are ongoing.
Rupesh Bishwakarma, Assistant Chief District Officer of Solukhumbu, stated that while strong tremors were felt in Salleri, there have been no reports of damage or casualties so far. “The quake felt significant. I surveyed the area, and no immediate damage was visible here, but we are gathering information, especially around Lobuche,” Bishwakarma added.
The tremors were felt at approximately 6:50 AM. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially recorded the quake as a 7.1 magnitude event centered near Nepal’s Lobuche area but later revised the epicenter to China’s Xinjiang region.
Following the main shock, USGS reported two aftershocks: one measuring 5.1 magnitude, 72 kilometers northeast of Lobuche, and another at 4.8 magnitude, 125 kilometers northeast.
Indian media reported that the quake was also felt across parts of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, and northern India.
Earthquake Risk in Nepal
Nepal remains at high risk of seismic activity. Data gathered after the 2015 earthquake shows frequent tremors along the fault line’s eastern section.
However, western Nepal, which has not experienced a significant earthquake since 1505, is considered overdue for a major event due to accumulated tectonic energy.
The collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the Eurasian plate continues to drive seismic activity in the Himalayan region.
Experts note that the entire Himalayan belt is a high-risk zone because of this tectonic interaction.
How Earthquakes Occur
Nepal’s underground fault lines make the region particularly prone to earthquakes.
Faults occur where two rock masses move close together.
These rocks shift slowly, but sudden movements release enormous energy, creating earthquakes.
The Himalayan earthquakes generally occur close to the surface, as the Earth’s core is molten and does not cause seismic disturbances.
