Kathmandu, Sept 03: An earthquake has now struck the Himalayan region, which has been reeling under the impact of the massive floods caused by the glacier collapse, further putting people in fear. An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale struck a border town in Tibet, which borders Nepal, on Thursday afternoon.
According to the National Center for Seismology, the tremor occurred at a depth of 14 kilometers, and there have been no reports of any casualties or property damage so far.
Nepal Floods: Death toll and details of missing persons
The death toll in the massive floods caused by the avalanche and glacier collapse that occurred on the Tibet-Nepal border on August 26 has risen to 1,252. The highest number of 355 bodies have been found in Chitwan. Rescue forces have recovered 218 bodies in Nawalparasi East, 208 in Nawalparasi West, 177 in Nuwakot, 127 in Rasuwa, 69 in Gorkha, 60 in Dhading and 38 in Tanahu.
Handover from India: Indian Border Security Forces have recovered 18 bodies washed ashore in rivers in Nawalparasi West and handed them over to Nepalese authorities with dignity.
A massive rescue operation led by the Nepal Army is underway for the ninth consecutive day, with more than 4,827 civilians still missing.
Death toll in Tibet too: 21 people have died in floods in Tibet’s Gyirong County, which borders China,
Fear of fresh floods and changed terrain
More rain, water level in rivers rising: The Meteorological Department has warned that there is a risk of further rise in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers as rain continues in the upper reaches of the Bhotekoshi River. Red and orange alerts have been declared for more than 20 hilly districts including Kathmandu, Mustang, Kaski, and Lamjung.
The floods in the Rasua and Nuwakot valleys have completely changed the nature of the hills. Helicopter pilots involved in rescue operations are struggling to navigate as river banks, bridges, and mountain landmarks have been destroyed.
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood: The process of glacial lakes bursting due to rising temperatures in the Himalayan regions and causing a huge amount of water to pour in in an instant is called ‘glacial lake outburst’. This time, the tragedy that has occurred on the Tibet border is one such tragedy.
Fear of landslides due to earthquake: The 5.0 magnitude earthquake that has now occurred in the line of hills and mountains that have already been loosened by the flood has increased the risk of the creation of more artificial dams in the riverbeds, which have broken and flooded the border rivers of North Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India.