A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal early Friday, jolting residents awake and causing widespread panic. The National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre confirmed the epicenter was in Bhairavkunda, Sindhupalchowk district, approximately 65 km east of Kathmandu. The quake struck at 2:51 AM local time, impacting central and eastern Nepal. A second earthquake, measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale, was recorded in Pakistan at around 5:14 AM.
Residents in neighboring India and Tibet also felt the tremors, with reports coming from Siliguri and Patna. No immediate casualties or major structural damage have been reported, but local authorities are assessing the situation. Ganesh Nepali, a senior official in Sindhupalchowk, described the moment: “It shook us from our sleep strongly. We rushed out of home. People have now returned back to homes. We have not received any report of damage or injuries so far.”
Nepal, located in a high-risk seismic zone, frequently experiences earthquakes. The devastating 2015 quake, which registered 7.8 magnitude, killed over 9,000 people and damaged more than a million buildings. Officials have urged residents to stay alert for aftershocks as disaster response teams continue to monitor developments. The German Research Center for Geosciences recorded the quake at a slightly lower magnitude of 5.6 with a depth of 10 km, reflecting variations in seismic readings.
Source: Swifteradio.com
