Earthquake Occurred In North-Western Nepal at 11:47 PM On November 3

An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude occurred in Ramidanda, Jajarkot in Nepal at 11:47 pm on 3 November 2023, whose tremors were felt in many parts of North India including the National Capital Region.

• At least 70 people were killed and dozens of others injured when an earthquake struck districts of northwestern Nepal just before midnight on November 3, while rescue teams carried out rescue operations in mountainous villages, according to news agency Reuters.
• Nepal PMO tweeted that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed deep sorrow over the human and material loss caused by the earthquake in Ramidanda, Jajarkot on November 3 at 11:47 pm and all 3 security agencies have been deployed for immediate rescue and relief. 

Earthquake intensity:

• According to Nepal's National Seismological Center, the earthquake's magnitude was 6.4, but the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) later downgraded the magnitude to 5.7 and the US Geological Survey estimated its magnitude at 5.6.

The epicenter of earthquake was centered in the north-west of Nepal:

• As per the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake's epicenter was located approximately 227 km north of Ayodhya in Nepal and 331 km to the west-northwest of Kathmandu, with a depth of 10 km.

Earthquake's impact on lives and assets: 

• The north-west districts of Nepal have been greatly affected by this. The damage was more in the area near the epicenter of the earthquake in Jajarkot. Jajarkot is a hill district with a population of 190,000 and villages scattered in the remote hills.
• At least 34 people have been killed in Jajarkot, while in neighboring Rukum West district, at least 35 deaths have been reported, police officer Namraj Bhattarai said.

What causes earthquakes?

• According to the United Nations Geological Survey (USGS), the main cause of these tremors is the continental collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates which is the major factor for earthquakes in the Himalayas.
• The Indian and Eurasian plates are moving closer at a relative rate of 40–50 millimeters per year.
• Many earthquakes are generated due to the movement of the Eurasian Plate towards the south and the Indian Plate towards the north, as a result of which earthquake shocks keep coming in this region; This makes the region one of the more seismically sensitive regions on Earth.