New aftershocks in Nepal hit over the weekend, causing more deadly tremors in the area, which was already hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25th. So far, the quakes have caused more than 8,000 deaths and many more injuries. Rescue attempts and recovery attempts have been hampered by the frequent danger of aftershocks in Nepal and the instability of the affected area.
Many people had to travel away from the destruction area, as not only were there aftershocks in Nepal, but also landslides and a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, that caused several deaths and injuries. A rescue team from the Nepal army has been in the area of Langtang pulling out bodies, and has recovered 90 as of this writing. The people who had to travel to other areas are fearing more quakes and are mostly staying in the open.
Aftershocks in Nepal Cause Four Recorded Tremors
The recent four reported tremors caused by aftershocks in Nepal all had a magnitude strength of more than 4 on the Richter Scale. These included a 4.2 tremor in the Sindhupalchowk district, a 4.0 tremor in Udaypur district, and a 4.4 tremor in Sindhupalchowk, according to the National Seismological Centre (seismonepal.gov.np) in Kathmandu. A fourth tremor of 4.2 magnitude hit in the Kavre area. No new damages have been reported due to these tremors.
These, along with the original 7.8 magnitude quake on April 25, have caused the worst death and damage toll in more than 80 years, according to Nepal authorities. More than 8,000 deaths and twice that many injuries have so far been recorded. Due to these problems, the United Nations has appealed to the world to try to bring in more than 400 million US dollars in assistance to repair damage caused by the original quake and the subsequent problems caused by the aftershocks in Nepal.
Hundreds of Thousands of Homes Damaged, Destroyed
The Nepal government reported that as of May the 8th, there are reports of more than 288,000 homes destroyed and more than 250,000 homes damaged due to the original Nepal quake. According to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), this is twice the amount of homes damaged or destroyed in a previous deadly quake in 1934.
The new aftershocks in Nepal made it difficult for rescue workers and the police and army personnel to work in the areas affected. Weather, as well, has made things complicated and people continued to travel to safer areas. Many are living in tents until permanent shelters can be found for those affected by the quake. With more aftershocks in Nepal to come, although uncomfortable and inconvenient, living outside in tents is preferable to many who fear being indoors.
