Kathmandu, January 8: The earthquake that shook the capital early on Tuesday morning woke most people up from their sleep. Even in the cold weather, people filled the streets. Some were holding children in their arms, while others were carrying elderly people. Students studying in the morning classes of the college were scattered.
The earthquake affected the first-year undergraduate exams at Tribhuvan University. As a result, 15 minutes had to be added to the exam on Tuesday. At 6:50 am, a magnitude 7 earthquake with its epicenter in Dingyi village in Shigatse, Xizang province, China, was felt in various districts of Koshi, Madhes and Bagmati provinces of Nepal.
Tuesday’s earthquake reminded many of the Gorkha earthquake nine years ago. The Gorkha earthquake, which affected several districts, including the Kathmandu Valley, at the time, resulted in more than 8,000 deaths and billions of rupees in material damage.
Rikesh Thapa of Nagarjuna-10, Kathmandu, who was shaken by the earthquake, jumped from the roof of his house. He was injured in the fall and is being treated at the Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal Police said. Police said that 11 students studying in grades 7 and 8 of Trichandra Secondary School in Devkota, Ward No. 1, Kalaiya Sub-metropolitan City of Bara, fainted after the earthquake.
Dr. Basudev Karki, a senior psychiatrist at Patan Mental Hospital in Lalitpur, says that people’s self-confidence has decreased because the effects of the previous powerful earthquake are still in their minds and they become more panicky and unable to exercise restraint even when they feel a normal earthquake. “Many people still have the experience of the Gorkha earthquake in 2072 BS, and they are also afraid of the Jajarkot earthquake a year ago. These two major earthquakes have weakened people’s morale,” he said. “Many people developed mental problems due to the 2072 BS earthquake. Mental illnesses emerge from such disasters. How to manage the stress caused by disasters? We need to take care of this.”
Karki said that incidents such as the earthquake not only cause material damage, but can also have a profound impact on mental health. In particular, he said, people who have experienced an earthquake are more likely to experience psychological distress. Dr. Karki said, “If an earthquake causes damage, it can also increase extreme fear and anxiety, making them fearful of future earthquakes.”
He said that different people will react differently and the impact will also vary according to the person’s biological environment. “It is not said that such disasters affect everyone in the same way. Some people may have a significant impact on their mental health, while others may not,” he said. “The government needs to raise public awareness about positive thinking and measures to manage earthquake risk.”
Request not to spread unnecessary panic
Dr. Lokvijay Adhikari, senior seismologist at the National Seismology and Research Center under the Department of Mines and Geology, has urged people not to spread misleading messages that spread unnecessary fear about earthquakes. “Unpleasant incidents may occur if people run away and jump in panic after an earthquake. Earthquake restraint should be exercised,” he said. “Misleading news such as those on social media that a major earthquake is coming also create more fear among people. Such messages should not be spread by anyone. Earthquake prediction is not possible.” He urged people to accept only official information.
The need for preparation and awareness
Dr. Adhikari, a senior seismologist at the center, has said that awareness should be raised on issues such as what to do in case of an earthquake? How to exercise restraint? What are the ways to stay safe? and that preparations should be made to minimize the loss of property and lives due to an earthquake. He has said that priority should be given to developing an early warning system.
Kamal Ram Joshi, Director General of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, stressed the need for further research on this issue, saying that earthquake-related early warnings have not been developed so far. He also mentioned that the risk of glaciers bursting has increased after the earthquake in China. “If there is a risk of glaciers bursting due to an earthquake, we issue advance warnings for the safety of property and people. I urge you to trust only official information,” Joshi said.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority spokesperson Dr. Dijan Bhattarai has urged people to remain prepared considering the potential risks as the aftershocks of the earthquake continue to occur and more aftershocks are likely to occur. He has emphasized the need for prudent disaster management.
Why do earthquakes occur?
Generally, earthquakes are felt when there is a vibration within the Earth’s surface. When the Earth’s surface is disturbed, the tension in the Earth’s interior increases greatly, and when that imbalance releases energy, the ground shakes. This vibration causes a jolt to the Earth’s surface, which is called an earthquake. The Earth’s outer layer (lithosphere) is divided into several large pieces called seismic plates. These plates move past each other, causing earthquakes.
According to the National Seismology and Research Center under the Department of Mines and Geology, earthquakes are a geological process that cannot be prevented or predicted through current studies and research. Earthquakes occur due to the interaction between tectonic plates. Small earthquakes occur every day, while large earthquakes occur at intervals of a few years. Small earthquakes that occur every day cannot release the stored energy, so large and destructive earthquakes occur from time to time.
“Major earthquakes have occurred in the Himalayan region in the past. The most recent intercontinental earthquakes occurred in Assam, India in 1897, Kangra, India in 1905, the Nepal-India border in 1934, and Assam, India in 1950,” the center said.
The Nepal Himalayas occupy about 800 kilometers (one-third) of the central part of the approximately 2,500-kilometer-long active mountain range, which stretches from Afghanistan in the west to Myanmar (Burma) in the east. The Nepal Himalayas are located in a highly sensitive area in terms of seismic risk due to the collision between tectonic plates and the accumulation of energy and the release of it through periodic destructive earthquakes, the center says.
