The recent earthquake has led to the collapse of the iconic Dharahara tower in Kathmandu. Also, several temples in Nepal have been damaged due to the strong quake. Over 150 casualties have been reported in Nepal. More than 10 deaths have also been reported in India. Also, nearly 50 people have been injured in Siliguri and 40 in Malda.
This earthquake is the strongest ever in the region in over 80 years. On January 15, 1934, an earthquake of 8.4 magnitude had hit the Bihar-Nepal border. The quake had claimed the lives of more than 30,000 people. The epicenter of the quake was situated in eastern Nepal. The natural disaster had caused immense damage to both life and property. The effect of the 1934 Earthquake was also felt in Kolkata which lies 650 km from the epicenter. The worst affected areas were Muzaffarpur, Purnea and Champaran.
Also, the Sikkim-Nepal border had experienced an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 on Richter scale in 2011. This particular region is earthquake prone due to the interaction between the Eurasian and Himalayan tectonic plates. According to scientists, the Indian landmass is moving not only northwards, but is also moving towards the west. The reason behind some recent earthquakes have been the westward rotational movements, which also caused the 2011 quake in Sikkim.
Image Credit (ANI)
