Experts Warn About an Even Stronger Earthquake Hitting Nepal

[Karamjit]

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit this country in Asia on April 25 is believed to have killed 10,000 people

On April 25, at 06:11 a.m. UTC, Nepal was hit by a major earthquake with a recorded magnitude of 7.8. The shake struck at a depth of merely 15 kilometers (about 9 miles), hence the fact that it was strong enough to be felt well into nearby Tibet and northern India.

Latest news says that over 4,000 people have so far been confirmed dead. As search and rescue operations continue, many expect that the final death toll will add up to around 10,000, The Guardian informs.

In a report, UN officials estimate that the earthquake affected as many as 8 million people, either by leaving them without one or more members of their family or by destroying their home. Of these people, 1 million are said to be children who are now orphaned or homeless.

A video showing the extent of the damage caused by the quake in the city of Bhaktapur, east of Nepal's capital Kathmandu, was produced by journalists in the area just hours ago and is available below.

The shocking footage, obtained with the help of a drone, shows buildings that were obliterated and turned into piles of rubble by the 7.8-magnitude shake. Rescue crews can be seen trying to navigate the remains of these buildings looking for survivors.
Another major earthquake could hit Nepal in the near future

As devastating as it was, experts say that the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25 wasn't enough to relieve all the seismic stress that the ground in the region near Kathmandu has come to accumulate over the years.

In a report, researchers with the US Geological Survey explain that this earthquake happened in a region where the crustal plate carrying India meets the crust of central Asia, smashing into and diving under it at a rate of about 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) per year.

It is said that all this commotion caused a piece of crust to break and move about 3 meter (10 feet) to the south. It was the breakage and the subsequent movement of this chunk of crust that triggered the April 25 earthquake in Nepal.

In an interview with Live Science, Oregon State University geologist Eric Kirby explained that this movement failed to release all the seismic pressure accumulated along the region where India's crust crashes into that of Asia only to be dragged under it.

The researcher estimates that, to have all the seismic pressure in the region released, the ground needs to shift another 10 to 15 meters (33 to 50 feet). What this means is that Nepal stands to be hit by another major earthquake in the near future.
The April 25 earthquake in Nepal wasn't exactly a surprise

The region that birthed the 7.8-magnitude that hit Nepal over the weekend is considered one of the most seismically active in the world. Accounts of major shakes in this corner of the world date back to around 1,500, when a strong earthquake destroyed buildings from India and all the way to Tibet.

Just decades ago, in 1934, Nepal experienced another powerful earthquake whose magnitude was one of 8.2 and which ended up killing well over 8,500 people living in the city of Kathmandu.

Given these past events and the geology of the region, the devastating April 25 shake wasn't exactly a surprise to specialists. “It has been a long time since the last big rupture, so this is not unexpected,” explained University of Michigan researcher Marin Clark in a statement.

From: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Experts-Warn-About-an-Even-Stronger-Earthquake-Hitting-Nepal-479536.shtml

[dMog]

ten thousand dead and so far as this total is a running total and most likely will only be a conservative estimate...and i bet most people only think it was a few hundred or around 12 hundred as they only really listened the first day and half about the quake and death toll...this country and region has always needed out help... not only right now but needs it full time and not just when a natural disaster strikes

[dcs18]

A video showing the extent of the damage caused by the quake in the city of Bhaktapur, east of Nepal's capital Kathmandu, was produced by journalists in the area just hours ago and is available below.

Here is the video which you probably forgot to include:--

[rasbridge]

Clearly, they need to utilize earthquake resistant building designs. I hope it happens, however, I understand the temptation to cut corners during construction.

[dMog]

Clearly, they need to utilize earthquake resistant building designs. I hope it happens, however, I understand the temptation to cut corners during construction.

almost every building outside of the major city there is build WITHOUT the use of building and safety knowledge ....this is an extremely poor area ans people just buy bricks as they need or can afford and put up walls themselves with out the aid of how to safely do so....