More than 150 people dead following earthquake in Nepal
The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers continue digging through rubble
More than 150 people are dead and hundreds more are injured after an earthquake struck Nepal early Saturday morning.
The temblor occurred around midnight local time in the western region of Karnali Province, located about 250 miles from the Nepalese capital city of Kathmandu. The shake registered as a magnitude-5.6 earthquake according to the U.S. Geological Survey. However, Nepal's National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center registered it significantly stronger at a magnitude of 6.4. A number of powerful aftershocks also struck the region throughout the early morning.
Hundreds of people were awakened by the earthquake, and many of them reportedly stayed up after the shaking was over out of fear that aftershocks were coming. Tremors "were also felt in India’s capital, New Delhi, hundreds of miles west," The New York Times reported. "There was not a single house standing tall. Every house was damaged," eyewitness Tapendra Rokaya told the Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The exact death toll remains unclear, but Nepalese officials have confirmed that at least 150 people have died, with some news outlets putting the total beyond 160. What is clear, though, is that the death toll is expected to rise, partially because Nepal's mountainous terrain is making rescue efforts difficult.
Nepalese media reports cited by USA Today said that many people died "after being crushed by debris when their homes crumbled." The majority of homes in the region are built by stacking rocks and heavy logs on top of each other. Mudslides and debris also blocked the roads into many rural towns that are now cut off from aid. Rescue workers are working to access these areas using helicopters.
Nepal lies in a highly tectonic region, and earthquakes in the country remain very common. In 2015, a 7.8-magnitude temblor killed around 9,000 people and destroyed more than a million buildings.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Exodus: the desperate rush to get out of Lebanon
Talking Point As the Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalates Lebanon faces an 'unprecedented' refugee crisis
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: October 20, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: October 20, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Wildlife populations drop a 'catastrophic' 73%
Speed Read The decline occurred between 1970 and 2020
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Floridians flee oncoming Hurricane Milton
Speed Read The hurricane is expected to cause widespread damage in the state
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beryl kills 4, knocks out power to 2.7M in Texas
Speed Read Millions now face sweltering heat without air conditioning
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
New data could help prepare for 'the Big One'
The explainer Earthquake data had been on shaky ground until a recent study shook things up
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
EPA limits carcinogenic emissions at 218 US plants
Speed Read The new rule aims to reduce cancer-causing air pollution in areas like Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How Taiwan minimized earthquake damage
The Explainer The country was rocked but not rolled
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Strong Taiwan earthquake kills 9, injures hundreds
Speed Read At magnitude 7.4, this was Taiwan's biggest earthquake in 25 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published