A powerful 6.6-magnitude earthquake in the remote mountains of west Nepal rocked the Himalayan nation in the early hours of Wednesday, killing at least six persons, including two minors, damaging buildings, and sparking panic among the residents.
According to the National Seismological Centre, the earthquake occurred at 2:12 am with its epicenter at Khaptad National Park in the Doti district.
Home Ministry spokesperson Phanindra Pokharel said Six persons have been killed in the earthquake.
Five persons who sustained serious injuries have been rushed to the district hospital in Doti, Pokharel told PTI over the phone.
A police post and eight houses collapsed due to the earthquake. According to Nepal Army spokesperson Narayan Silwal three persons were missing and are believed to
have been trapped in the housing collapse in Purvichauki.
The Nepal Army has started searching for the missing persons.
On October 19, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted Nepal’s capital Kathmandu and adjoining areas,
forcing many people to rush out of their homes for safety.
The earthquake was felt in the Kathmandu Valley and neighboring districts. There was no report of any damage or casualties.
At least six people were killed when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the lower Himalayan region
early Wednesday, leading to tremors rippling across north India and parts of Nepal and jolting people
out of their sleep in scores of cities and villages.
In April 2015, a devastating earthquake of 7.8 magnitude rocked Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and wounding nearly 22,000 others. It also damaged over 800,000 houses and school buildings.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was also in Western Nepal for an election campaign when the earthquakes hit the region.
He was attending election rallies and meeting people at Dhangadhi district, 160 km South of the epicenter.
The tremor was also felt in Dhangadhi though the Prime Minister is safe
