Nepal Hit by Second Deadly 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Weeks After Devastation That Killed Over 8,000 People

By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, May 12, 2015

A U.S. rescue team member walks above debris in search for survivors after the earthquake in Kathmandu, May 12, 2015. A fresh 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on Tuesday, killing more than two dozen people in the Himalayan country and neighboring states, as many buildings already weakened by a much bigger quake last month were brought down. The earthquake was centered 68 kilometers (42 miles) west of the town of Namche Bazaar, close to Mount Everest and the border with Tibet, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It could be felt as far away as northern India and Bangladesh.

Local residents evacuate onto a street minutes after an earthquake in central Kathmandu, Nepal, May 12, 2015. At three people were killed and more than 300 injured in Nepal after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake shook the Himalayan nation on Tuesday, police said. The latest casualties came just weeks after a devastating quake, with a magnitude of 7.8, killed more than 8,000 people in Nepal and damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings.

Nepalese military personnel and International rescue check on a collapsed building after an earthquake in the center of Kathmandu, Nepal, May 12, 2015.

A rescuer carries a man on his back as authorities carry out rescue operations after a fresh 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal, in Gyirong county, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, May 12, 2015.

A man stands on the debris of collapsed houses after a fresh 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, in Sankhu May 12, 2015.

View Photos

Nepal was hit by a 7.3-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday which has already killed 32 people and injured over 1,000 others, with the death toll rising. Back in April the country suffered widespread devastation after a 7.8-magnitude quake killed over 8,000.

CNN reported that Tuesday's earthquake triggered an avalanche in a sparsely populated region about 30 miles north of Kathmandu. Nepal, which has suffered a series of aftershocks following April's earthquake, is seeking to asses the extent of the latest damage, communications ministry spokesman Minendra Rijal said.

41-year-old documentarian Marc Sarrado from Spain shared his experience in Nepal's Nuwakot Valley: "For the first seconds, it was complete silence. By the fifth second, everybody started to scream," he said.

"It was really, really intense. Even when the shaking stopped, people were still screaming. They were completely panicked, because they knew exactly what it was."

BBC's Yogita Limaye, who was in Nepal's mountains when the latest earthquake struck, added: "The earth shook and it shook for a pretty long time.

"I can completely understand the sense of panic. We have been seeing tremors: it's been two-and-a-half weeks since the first quake. But this one really felt like it went on for a really long time. People have been terrified."

Tremors from Tuesday's quake were also felt in northern India and Bangladesh, two countries that also suffered casualties during April's quake.

Nepal's government revealed that 31 out of the country's 75 districts have been affected, and sent out rescue helicopters to the districts northeast of the capital in Kathmandu, which are believed to have been hit the worst.

Several humanitarian groups, including Christian organizations such as Samaritan's Purse, have been helping out in Nepal providing necessities to survivors of the devastation.

The U.S. Geological Survey explained that Tuesday's quake struck at a depth of 9.3 miles, which is the same depth as the 7.8-magnitude earthquake almost three weeks ago. The quake has brought down houses and lodges in the Everest region that had been damaged by the previous tragedy, though local officials said that very few tourists remain in the area.

BBC science correspondent Jonathan Amos said: "In April, we saw the fault boundary rupture eastwards for 150km (93 miles). And the immediate assessment suggests Tuesday's tremor has occurred right at the eastern edge of this failure."

"In that context, this second earthquake was almost certainly triggered by the stress changes caused by the first one. Indeed, the U.S. Geological Survey had a forecast for an aftershock in this general area."