Another earthquake hits Nepal

Kathmandu: A 4.1-magnitude earthquake hit western Nepal on Thursday, a day after a powerful 6.6-magnitude earthquake jolted the Himalayan nation, which killed six people and sparked panic among citizens.

According to the National Earthquake Monitoring & Research Centre, the earthquake occurred at 5.13 am on Thursday, with its epicentre at Kada area in Khaptad Chhededaha rural municipality of Bajura district, situated 750 km from Kathmandu.

The Center said that the latest quake is not the aftershock of the Gorkha Earthquake of 2015 but a fresh earthquake.

No loss of lives were reported so far.

Wednesday's earthquake occurred at 2:12 am with its epicentre at Khaptad National Park in the Doti district of the quake-prone Himalayan nation, damaging scores of houses and sparking panic among the people who were sleeping.

Six persons were killed and eight others injured in the earthquake, Home Ministry spokesperson Phanindra Pokharel told PTI over phone.

He said that the government has instructed the local administration to immediately distribute relief materials and compensation to the victims.

The kin of those killed will be provided Rs 200,000 per head as compensation, he said.

The six injured have been admitted to district Hospital in Doti while two others who sustained serious injuries have been airlifted to Seti Zonal Hospital in Dhangadhi, according to Home Ministry officials.

At least 10 houses were completely damaged in the quake, they said.

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, he said.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba who is in western Nepal for an election campaign is safe.

He was attending election rallies and meeting people at Dhangadhi district, 160 km south of the epicentre.

The tremor was also felt in Dhangadhi though the Prime Minister is safe, according to Pokharel.

Nepal will be going for elections for the federal Parliament as well as the provincial assemblies on November 20.

Deuba has instructed officials to arrange immediate and proper treatment of injured in the earthquake-affected areas.

"I pay homage to those killed in the Dadeldhura earthquake and my condolences to the bereaved family members," he tweeted.

"I also instruct the concerned authorities to speed up rescue and relief works and treatment of those injured in the incident," he added.

The Nepal Army and the Nepal Police personnel have been mobilised to carry out rescue operations.

Earthquakes are frequent in mountainous Nepal.

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 neighbouring districts. There was no report of any damage or casualties.

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.