12 May,2015 08:30 AM IST | | Agencies
At least 57 people were killed and over 1,000 others injured when a massive earthquake and 14 aftershocks shook Nepal on Tuesday, 10 people were killed in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India also
At least 57 people were killed and over 1,000 others injured when a massive earthquake and 14 aftershocks shook Nepal on Tuesday causing panic in the Himalayan nation which is still recovering from the devastating April 25 temblor.
Ten people were killed in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in adjoining India
Cracked buildings collapsed in a heap of debris and landslides cut off roads as an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit Nepal, with its epicentre not far from Mount Everest -- the world's highest peak at 8,850 metres.
Nineteen people were killed in Dolakha, five in Sindhupalchok, four in Kathmandu, two in Sindhuli and one each in Lalitpur, Sunsari, Rauthat, Dhanusa and Sarlahi, Nepal home ministry spokesperson Laxmi Prasad Dhakal said.
The details of the other people killed were not immediately available.
Terrified people ran out of homes and offices to open spaces and parks as the buildings began to shake due to the tremors.
"It was frightening," said a witness who clutched her daughter. "It felt worse than last time," she added.
Six strong aftershocks followed in quick succession. Four of the aftershocks had their epicentre at Kodari on the Nepal-China border, northeast of Kathmandu, and the strongest aftershock measured 6.3 on the Richter scale.
Nepalese patients are carried out of a hospital building after the earthquake in Kathmandu. Pic/ AFP
Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said the government has deployed search, relief and rescue teams in the affected areas.
His Indian counterpart Narendra Modi assured that he has directed authorities to be on alert for rescue and relief operations.
A tweet from the Indian prime minister's office said: "PM took stock of the situation following the fresh major earthquake felt in Nepal and parts of India, at a high-level meeting."
India Meteorological Department chief L.S. Rathore said the aftershocks could well continue for a few more weeks and months.
In Kathmandu, a witness said he saw a building collapse.
Onlookers were left dazed and distraught on seeing the buildings collapse with a roar in a replay of the April 25 quake horror.
There was no electricity in Kathmandu after the tremors. Internet connectivity too snapped.
Thousands of people set up tents in open spaces. Some people were seen sitting on the middle of roads, afraid to go back to their homes.
Kathmandu airport was closed temporarily as the ATC staff hurried out of the tower. The airport -- Nepal's only international airport -- was shortly thereafter reopened for normal traffic.
Also read: Death and destruction as massive earthquake hits Nepal
The tremors were felt across India for over 30 seconds, leaving at least eight people dead in Bihar and two in Uttar Pradesh. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was put on alert for rescue and relief operations.
The quake shook Nepal, nearly three weeks after a more powerful temblor killed over 8,000 people in the Himalayan nation. The tremors were also felt in parts of northern and eastern India including Delhi, Patna, Lucknow, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar and Jaipur.
In Bihar, at least eight people, including three children, were killed.
A labourer was killed when an under-construction wall collapsed in Danapur near Patna. A child in Siwan district, two children in Manigachi in Darbhanga district and a woman in Dumra of Sitamarhi district died in similar circumstances.
One person each died in Hajipur in Vaishali district, Nawada and Saran districts.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who directed officials concerned to assess the damage, however confirmed only six deaths, but said there was information on 15 and officers had been asked to verify these.
Nepalese patients lie on stretchers in an open area after being carried out of a hospital building as another earthquake hit the country, in Kathmandu today. Pic/ AFP
In Uttar Pradesh, two people were killed and half-a-dozen others injured.
A labourer was killed when an under-construction crematorium in Hamirpur collapsed while several other labourers were trapped in the rubble, while a girl was killed in Sambhal when her mud-and-thatch house caved in.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged people to stay calm in the wake of tremors felt in several parts of the state, including Murshidabad, Durgapur, Siliguri.
She said a round-the-clock control room had been opened at the state secretariat 'Nabanna' in nearby Howrah. The numbers are 1070 and 22143526.
Kolkata Metro as well as Delhi Metro services were halted due to the tremors.
Dozens of cracked buildings collapse
Dozens of buildings which had developed cracks in the April 25 temblor collapsed on Tuesday when another major earthquake shook the country.
An eyewitness said that he saw a building collapse in Kathmandu. Another said that he saw debris falling on a taxi packed with people.
Dust rose as the buildings began to collapse following the 7.3 magnitude earthquake, which struck at 12.40 p.m. Its epicentre was at Kodari and quite close to Mount Everest. Kodari is about 100 km northeast of Kathmandu.
Photos: Nepal earthquake: The aftermath in pictures
Onlookers were left dazed and distraught on seeing the buildings collapse with a roar, a replay of the April 25 quake horror. Three strong aftershocks, with one measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, jolted the country within an hour.
As soon as the earthquake struck, there was no electricity in Kathmandu. The electricity supply had been restored with great difficulty following the April temblor.
Nepalese people stand in the streets following the earthquake, in Kathmandu. Pic/ AFP
Internet connectivity too snapped. People desperate for news tried to get in touch through their mobile phones, but that too did not work. The mobile network was jammed.
Watch video:
Earthquake measuring 7.3 on Richter scale jolts Assam
An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale shook Assam today at 12:35 PM. The quake with epicentre in Nepal was on latitude 27.6 degree north and 86.6 degree east at a depth of 18 km, according to the the Central Seismological Observatory in Shillong.
Nepal Earthquake: The day the Earth shook
The quake lasting nearly a minute caused panic among the people who rushed out of their houses and offices to the open spaces outside.
At least seven people were killed and over 150 were injured when a massive earthquake struck Nepal on Tuesday, police said. He said that the number of deaths is likely to go up as they await news from other areas.
Quake jolts Jharkhand
Tremors were felt in several places in Jharkhand today but no loss of life or property damage was reported.
Tremors were felt in Ranchi, Dumka, Giridih and in other places around 12.35 PM for a few seconds, an official said. There was no report of any damage to life or property.
Tremors felt in Bihar
An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale was felt in Patna and other parts of Bihar this afternoon.
Also Read: Bollywood celebs express shock as earthquake hits Nepal again
The earthquake was felt at 12:35 pm, state Meteorological department said.
Initial reports suggest that tremors were felt across several parts of the state including Darbhanga, East Champaran and Kisanganj.
The earthquake send people into panic. In the capital city Patna, citizens were seen running out from buildings into open spaces. In many schools, children ran to safety in field.
Mild tremors in Chennai
Mild tremors were felt in some parts of the city in Chennai on Tuesday as the fallout of a powerful earthquake epicentred in Nepal, officials said.
Tremors were felt in Valasaravakkam, Santhome and parts of Kodambakkam, they said. Residents and office-goers fled buildings in the localities to safer zone. There were no reports of any damage to life or property, police said.
Tremors in Bengal, Metro halted in Kolkata
Tremors were felt in several parts of West Bengal, including state capital Kolkata, on Tuesday. Metro services were halted due to the tremors, which were felt in Murshidabad, Durgapur, Siliguri and other places of the state.
"An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale was felt in Nepal on Tuesday. The tremors felt in Bengal were weak in comparison to the jolts in Nepal. Aftershocks may continue," Devendra Pradhan, deputy director general of meteorology (eastern region), Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata, told IANS.
The tremors at 12.35 a.m. caused panic and there were reports of people falling from stairs and rushing out of houses and offices. Cell phone services were disrupted in several stretches.
