Over 132 people died in a remote pocket of Nepal when a shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck early Saturday, officials told news agency PTI. Karnali Province police spokesman Gopal Chandra Bhattarai told news outlets that over 100 people have been injured.
The US Geological Survey said the tremor hit the far west of the Himalayan country late Friday at just 18 kilometres (11 miles) deep. Videos and images shared on social media showed locals digging deep through rubble in the dark to pull survivors from the rubble as the temblor collapsed homes and buildings.
The report by AFP said mud houses were flattened or damaged as survivors remained crouched outside, looking for safety.
Mud houses were flattened or damaged as survivors crouched outside for safety, as the sirens of emergency vehicles wailed. The earthquake was felt as far away as New Delhi. The epicentre of the earthquake was 42 km south of Jumla.
“In our district, 26 people have died and many are injured. It is still night and it is difficult to get all the information. The toll might rise,” Jajarkot district chief Suresh Sunar told AFP.
The Jajarkot district hospital was packed with residents who were bringing in injured victims. Namraj Bhattarai, police chief of neighbouring Rukum West region, said at least 36 were dead and 85 injured in the area. “We are working on rescue efforts,” he said.
The Himalayan nation lies on a major geological faultline where the Indian tectonic plate pushes up into the Eurasian plate. This formed the Himalayas millions of years ago and earthquakes are a regular occurrence in the region.
“We have information that there have been human and physical damages in two districts because of the quake, and security forces have been mobilised for rescue work. (The) numbers are still unconfirmed,” said home ministry spokesman Nararyan Prasad Bhattarai.
The government deployed security forces to help with rescue efforts.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal expressed “his deep sorrow over the human and physical damage caused by the earthquake”. Nearly 9,000 people died and more than 22,000 were injured in 2015 when a 7.8-magnitude quake struck Nepal, destroying more than half a million homes. It damaged or destroyed nearly 8,000 schools, leaving almost one million children without classrooms. Total economic losses from the disaster were estimated at $7 billion.
Six people died in November last year when a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Doti district, near Jajarkot.
Indian social media subscribers reported feeling Friday’s temblor through social media updates. People in Bihar’s capital Patna and Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow also said they could feel the tremors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is “deeply saddened by loss of lives and damage due to the earthquake in Nepal”. In a post on X, PM Modi said: “India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is ready to extend all possible assistance. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and we wish the injured a quick recovery”.