36 aftershocks of above 4 magnitude rock Nepal

At least 36 aftershocks, including five on Wednesday alone, were recorded in Nepal following Tuesday's 7.3-magnitude earthquake.

Five aftershocks with the epicentre at Kathmandu were felt on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. following Tuesday's temblor that ripped through the surrounding districts of the Kathmandu valley.

Aftershocks at 2. 07 a. m. with the epicentre in Kathmandu rattled the city where thousands of fearful people are living in the open, terrorizing them again.

Rumours doing the rounds that another big earthquake is going to hit Nepal have also made the people panic stricken, forcing them to stay in open spaces and not conduct any business since Wednesday morning. Schools are closed, roads are empty and very few vehicles are plying on the roads. Markets and shops have not opened and people are afraid to resume their regular work.

According to the National Seismological Centre, a 4.2-magnitude aftershock with its epicentre near Kathmandu was experienced at 2.07 a.m. on Wednesday.

Dozens of aftershocks measuring above 4 on the Richter scale with epicentres in Dhading, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Kavre and Bhaktapur were felt following the April 25 7.9-magnitude earthquake.

Though the aftershocks of the devastating quake saw a gradual decrease in intensity and a slow return to normalcy in Kathmandu, the 7.3-magnitude tremor that shook the nation on Tuesday afternoon has again adversely affected life in the valley.

Another aftershock measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale was recorded at 3.10 a.m. on Wednesday with its epicentre in Dhading followed by a 4.3-magnitude tremor at 4.38 a.m. with the epicentre at Dolakha, according to the National Seismological Centre.

(Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com)