The 7.9 magnitude earthquake that has caused severe devastation in Nepal and neighbouring Bihar, reminds us of the 1934 calamity that had claimed thousands of lives in the state. Known as the Bihar-Nepal earthquake, the tremor is considered to be the worst the region has ever experienced.
The devastation caused by the quake on both the sides was huge. This can be gauged from the fact that over 12000 people had lost their lives in Nepal, while in Bihar the number of deaths was over 7000, according to some reports on Bihar earthquake. Railway tracks were twisted at several places and sand geysers erupted at many sites due to the impact of the quake.
That time the epicentre of the quake was in eastern Nepal and the damages extended from Purnia to Champaran –now west and east Champaran. Munger and Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Kathmandu in Nepal were completely destroyed in this tragedy. Bakhtapur and Patan in the Nepal were also badly hit. Measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale, the tremor of the quake was so huge that the impact was felt in Lhasa, Mumbai, Assam and Punjab.
Though the difference of strength between both the quakes may not look large to a common man, a variation of 0.3 on the Richter scale makes the 1934 quake several times stronger than the recent one. This is because the depth of the quake and the energy released. The 1934 quake had a depth of 33 kilometers, while the earthquake on Saturday had a depth of 15 kilometers only. Also the energy released is less than that of 1934 due to the difference of strength on the Richter scale.
