Nepal earthquake: What India needs to do
The earthquake in Nepal has left its mark. Over 1,100 people are dead and with the death toll rising by the hour, it can be said that this is one of the darkest hours that the Himalayan Kingdom has faced. The Nepali government has declared a state of emergency in affected areas and appealed for international assistance after the severe quake destroyed homes, businesses and landmarks in Kathmandu and the densely-populated surrounding areas at noon local time.
The quake which struck at midday local time has left its mark on India too with an estimated 34 people dead. The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck 81km (50 miles) northwest of Kathmandu at 06.11 GMT, with walls crumbling and families racing outside of their homes. The 7.8 magnitude tremor has been the worst to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years.
Old Kathmandu city is a warren of tightly-packed, narrow lanes with poorly-constructed homes piled on top of each other which were vulnerable to collapse. Residents have reported seeing trails of destruction - collapsed walls, broken windows and fallen telephone poles – as they drove through the capital, along with streets filled with terrified people.
Damage
“It's too early to make any assessment but the damage isn't as bad as it could have been,” said Liz Satow, the Nepal director for the air group World Vision who drove from Kathmandu to the nearby town of Lalitpur and added that while there was considerable damage, most buildings were still intact.
Government emergency workers are reportedly already on the scene in the most damaged areas while Save the Children teams on the ground are coordinating an emergency response. Several buildings to have collapsed in the centre of the capital, the ancient old Kathmandu, including centuries-old temples and towers, said resident Prachanda Sual. Among them is the Dharahara Tower, one of the city's landmarks built by Nepal's royal rulers in the 1800s and a UNESCO-recognised historical monument.
What is especially dangerous is the time when the earthquake has struck in April. April is one of the most popular times to climb Everest before rain and clouds cloak the mountain at the end of next month. According to statistics, some 230,000 people - nearly half of Nepal's yearly foreign visitors - come to trek the Himalayas, with 810 of them attempting to scale Mount Everest in 2013.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS) the quake was initially measured at 7.5 magnitude, then later adjusted to 7.9, with a depth of 15 kilometres. Subsequently, it was lowered to 7.8. As to why it happened seismologist say the quake happened on what is known as a "thrust fault". That describes a situation when one piece of the Earth's crust is moving beneath another piece. “In this case, it's the Indian plate that is moving north at 45mm (1.7 inches) a year under the Eurasian plate to the north. This is what builds the Himalayan mountain range,” said seismologist Earle.
Aftershocks
He added: “The region and particular fault has a history of damaging earthquakes, including four temblors with magnitudes greater than 6.0 in the past 100 years,” Earle said, warning that landslides are a particular worry now, given the steep slopes in the region.
The earthquake has also shaken several cities across northern India and was felt as far away as Lahore in Pakistan and Lhasa in Tibet, 340 miles east of Kathmandu and the national capital New Delhi. Lucknow in the north and Patna in the east have also reported strong tremors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting of top government officials to review the damage and disaster preparedness in parts of India that felt strong tremors, but the fear is now of the aftershocks that may follow.
“We are in the process of finding more information and are working to reach out to those affected, both at home and in Nepal,” Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet.
(Courtesy of Daily Mail.)