A devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck the Tibet-Nepal border region on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction and significant loss of life. As reported by China's state media via AFP, the earthquake occurred at 6:35 AM IST, with its epicenter located in Tibet, approximately 93 kilometers northeast of Lobuche, Nepal. The US Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the quake's epicenter at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The powerful tremor led to the death of at least 50 individuals and left more than 60 injured. The earthquake’s impact was felt across various regions of North India, including Bihar, which experienced significant tremors. The affected areas include Lobuche, a remote location near the Khumbu Glacier in Nepal, which is approximately 150 kilometers east of Kathmandu and near the Everest Base Camp.
China’s earthquake monitoring agency recorded the quake’s magnitude as 6.8, with the epicenter situated at an altitude of about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), as reported by CCTV.
In the aftermath of the initial earthquake, two more aftershocks rocked the region. The first, measuring a magnitude of 4.7, was recorded at 7:02 AM IST, with its epicenter at a depth of 10 kilometers. The second aftershock, registering a magnitude of 4.9, occurred at 7:07 AM IST, with its epicenter located at a depth of 30 kilometers.
Experts attribute Nepal's vulnerability to frequent seismic activity to its position in the seismically active Himalayan region. The country has suffered devastating earthquakes in the past, including the catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25, 2015, which killed nearly 9,000 people and damaged over 1 million structures. The region also witnessed another deadly earthquake in 1934, which resulted in over 8,000 fatalities.
As the region grapples with the aftermath, local authorities and emergency teams are working to assess the full extent of the damage and provide relief to those affected. The earthquake serves as a reminder of Nepal’s ongoing exposure to natural disasters, given its location along the seismically active tectonic plates.
Additionally, just a day earlier, on Monday, an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 struck Afghanistan at 12:47 PM IST, with its epicenter located at a depth of 120 kilometers. While there were no immediate reports of casualties, it highlights the region’s vulnerability to seismic activity.
