As many as 449 people were killed after a powerful earthquake scaling 7.9 on Richter scale struck Nepal today ruining several buildings including a UNESCO World Heritage site and the centuries-old Dharhara tower in the heart of the capital trapping scores of people.
The tremor with epicentre at Lamjung, about 80 kilometers northwest of Kathmandu, had its effect in several cities in Bihar and West Bengal and eastern India. It was also experienced in China and as far as Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The quake measured 7.9, the US Geological Survey said. A number of quakes were felt for a long time.
Witnesses and media reports said the quake shocks lasted between 30 seconds and two minutes.
Several buildings in the heavily-populated Kathmandu Valley collapsed killing more than 70 people, a home ministry official said.
Kathmandu’s Darbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was completely destroyed in the quake.
The earthquake first hit around 11:56 am followed by aftershocks, Nepal Police spokesperson Kamal Singh Ban said.
Leave a Comment