7.5 magnitude tremor jolts Nepal effects felt across northern India

April 25, 2015

0 2 minutes read

Effects of Tremors felt across from Delhi to Kolkata

Exact Location of Quake: 35km E of Lamjung, Nepal

Massive tremors lasting well over a minute were felt across northern India after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal this morning.

Tremors were felt across eastern and northern parts of India, said JL Gautam, Head Operations Seismology of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). “Earthquake of magnitude 7.5 occurred today at 11.41 AM between latitude 28.1 North and Longitude 84.6 East. The epicentre was located in Nepal,” an IMD statement said.

In Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region, people were seen running out of their houses after buildings shook for well over a minute. However, there are no reports of any damage in Delhi.

Tremors were also felt in Dehradun, Patna, Lucknow, Kolkata, Jaipur, Chandigarh and other cities.

Twitter was immediately abuzz with news pouring in about the earthquake

Atleat 1800 dead, officials fear the number will increase with time

A powerful earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday, killing at least 1,800 people across a swath of four countries as the violently shaking earth collapsed houses, leveled centuries-old temples and triggered avalanches on Mount Everest. It was the worst tremor to hit the poor South Asian nation in more than 80 years.

Another 34 were killed in India, 12 in Tibet and two in Bangladesh. Two Chinese citizens died in the Nepal-China border. The death toll is almost certain to rise, said deputy Inspector General of Police Komal Singh Bam.

UNICEF sending supplies to the grief stricken areas

With children accounting for half the country’s population, UNICEF fears the disaster, which is reported to have already killed hundreds of people, will have a severe impact on children.

UNICEF has prepositioned supplies, including water purification tablets, hygiene kits, tarpaulins and nutrition supplies, and is working with government and other partners to meet children’s immediate needs in the areas of water and sanitation, child protection, health and nutrition.

Seismotectonics of the Himalaya and Vicinity

Seismicity in the Himalaya dominantly results from the continental collision of the India and Eurasia plates, which are converging at a relative rate of 40-50 mm/yr. Northward underthrusting of India beneath Eurasia generates numerous earthquakes and consequently makes this area one of the most seismically hazardous regions on Earth. The surface expression of the plate boundary is marked by the foothills of the north-south trending Sulaiman Range in the west, the Indo-Burmese Arc in the east and the east-west trending Himalaya Front in the north of India.