Fatal 5.6 magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal's northwest

(MENAFN) Northwestern Nepal experienced a significant earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 just prior to midnight on a Friday, resulting in the tragic loss of over 150 lives and leaving dozens of people injured. Rescue efforts were underway in the Himalayan villages, but the death toll was expected to rise as communication had been severed in the affected areas. Earthquakes are not uncommon in the mountainous terrain of Nepal, and the region has witnessed a series of significant seismic events over the years.

Some of the most powerful earthquakes in Nepal's recent history include the 1980 earthquake that struck the Nepal-India border, resulting in at least 200 casualties and thousands of injuries. In 1988, the capital city experienced a 6.9 magnitude quake, claiming the lives of at least 1,000 people and causing extensive injuries. However, the most devastating earthquake in Nepal's history occurred on April 25, 2015, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake led to the loss of approximately 9,000 lives and inflicted damage on around one million structures. The deadliest earthquake in the region prior to this was recorded in 1934, resulting in over 8,000 fatalities.

May 12, 2015, witnessed one of the roughly two dozen aftershocks from the April 25 earthquake, claiming the lives of over 200 people and leaving more than 2,000 individuals injured. In November 2022, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake rocked western Nepal, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least six people. The most recent earthquake on November 3, 2023, with a magnitude of 5.6, struck northwestern Nepal and had a devastating impact, claiming the lives of more than 150 individuals and causing injuries to dozens.

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