Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:12am on 04 Nov 2023,Saturday International
Himalayan seismologists had warned that a major earthquake was overdue in high-risk western Nepal. This could release the built-up tectonic tension since no mega quake has occurred in the region for over 600 years. Friday's estimated 6-magnitude quake near Jajarkot was not as big as the 8+ predicted. But it shook towns 500km away in India and Tibet. At least 128 deaths are reported so far with hundreds injured, numbers still rising. Though this quake may have released some tension in the seismic gap, it could presage a larger one as the Indian Plate steadily converges with Eurasia's at 25mm/year. The lack of huge historical quakes means massive accumulated energy still awaits discharging.
