Tuesday, September 20, 2011

6.8 quake hits Nepal

An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale has struck Nepal on Sunday evening at 18:25 (local time). This was the strongest quake to hit the country in 78 years. The epicentre was between Taplejung, eastern Nepal, and the Indian state of Sikkim. (Source: The Kathmandu Post, Monday 19th September 2011)

Sunday's earthquake was the strongest to hit the country since 1934. However, the damage and casualties the country witnessed were exceptionally low. [...] One of the reasons for the low impact in Kathmandu was the distance from the epicentre. (Source: The Kathmandu Post, Monday 19th September 2011)

[...]disaster preparedness and response - largely ignored over the years - has suddenly become a hotly discussed topic. As Nepal lies on a high-risk seismic zone, the country, especially Kathmandu, is ranked among 20 cities most vulnerable to quakes. (Source: ibid.)

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