Over 150 Killed as Powerful Earthquake Rattles Nepal

Facts

• At least 157 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake hit a remote region of Nepal on Friday night, officials announced Saturday.¹
• Authorities said hundreds have been injured — though these figures, along with the death toll, are expected to rise as the search for the survivors in the debris of collapsed homes and buildings continues.²
• According to Nepal's National Seismological Centre, the 6.4-magnitude earthquake's epicenter was in the village of Ramidanda, some 300 miles west of the capital Kathmandu. The US Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.6.³
• As the earthquake — which struck at around 11:47 p.m. local time — was followed by at least three strong aftershocks, many residents reportedly spent the rest of the night outside.⁴
• The earthquake's tremors were also felt in several districts of northern India, including the capital, New Delhi. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to extend 'all possible assistance.'²
• Earthquakes are common in landlocked Nepal. A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015 killed some 9K people and reduced over 1M structures into rubble.⁵

Sources: ¹The Hindu, ²NDTV, ³Reuters, ⁴BBC News and ⁵Associated Press.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by India Today. Nepal is nestled in the world's most seismically active region, on a major geological faultline where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, forming the Himalayas and making earthquakes a regular occurrence. Not much can be done to protect the country and its neighbors from this unfortunate geographical feature, which puts the lives of those living in the area at risk.
• Narrative B, as provided by BNN Breaking. While there's no way to accurately predict when exactly an earthquake will occur, Nepal's situation becomes more problematic because of its flimsy buildings, which can't withstand powerful earthquakes, and growing poor population in rural vulnerable areas, which hamper rescue efforts and contribute to the higher death toll. Nepal must develop mechanisms to quickly and effectively respond to earthquakes to protect its people and national assets.

Predictions