- Nepal earthquake: 157 killed
- Dramatic rescue captured on video
- Seismic activity in Nepal
At least 157 people were killed in Nepal when an earthquake struck, and rescuers are working to free those trapped. This video captures one survivor, a woman, being rescued from the dusty debris.
Dramatic Rescue of Survivor from Debris
Nepal was hit by an earthquake in the western region, claiming a minimum of 157 lives as of late Friday night. The death toll is expected to rise, and personnel and helicopters have been deployed to assist in the search for survivors.
Efforts to Aid the Injured and Affected
In a video, rescuers can be seen dragging a woman from the debris using torches. She holds a beam, and a rescuer uses a tool to clear the debris surrounding her. The beam likely created an opening that saved her life during the building’s collapse. Rescuers free her, and cheers can be heard as she emerges unharmed.
Widespread Impact and Previous Earthquake
Eyewitnesses reported that the earthquake caused homes to collapse and severed communication to many villages. The earthquake struck the Jajarkot district of Karnali province, 310 miles west of the capital Kathmandu, at 11:47 p.m. (6:02 p.m. in the United Kingdom).
The Frequent Seismic Activity in Nepal
The National Seismological Centre of Nepal recorded the magnitude as 6.4, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded it as 5.6.
“Don’t miss out! Grab your free shares of Webull UK today!”
Houses were destroyed, and people fled their homes in fear. Landslides blocked roads and hindered access in some areas. Provisions and medical personnel were transported by helicopter, and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal flew to the affected region.
Some of the injured received medical treatment at the regional hospital in Nepalgunj. Bimal Kumar Karki, one of the initial two people transported to the medical facility, described his ordeal, saying he was sound asleep when the earthquake struck, and the entire structure collapsed. He and his friends were trapped, and it took rescuers between 30 minutes and an hour to locate them.
Officials reported that the earthquake claimed the lives of 105 people in Jajarkot and 52 in the neighboring Rukum West district, both in the province of Karnali. Harish Chandra Sharma, a district official in Jajarkot, stated that hundreds of people could be injured, and the death toll may rise due to the earthquake’s moderate magnitude and the area’s substandard infrastructure.
The earthquake’s tremors were felt as far away as Kathmandu and New Delhi, India. The USGS reported that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 11.1 miles (17.9 kilometers). In Nepal, earthquakes are frequent; in 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake damaged approximately one million structures and killed about 9,000 people.
