Page 21 - Nepal

Police clash with anti-govt demonstrators in Kathmandu, 30 injured

Nearly 30 people, including five policemen, were injured on Thursday as Nepalese riot police used batons and tear gas to halt thousands of protesters from two political groups who clashed with each other while marching on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The two political groups, the Youth Organisation Nepal (YON) affiliated to the main Opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) [CPN UML] and supporters of the pro-monarchy Durga Prasai Group clashed with each other while staging anti-government demonstrations. At least 24 protesters and five policemen were injured during the clashes. The YON and the pro-monarchist Durga Prasai Group announced separate demonstrations against the government in Kathmandu on Thursday. The Durga Prasai Group -- whose first target was the government and second the CPN-UML affiliated YON -- chanted slogans and called for the restoration of a Hindu state in Nepal. According to the YON, their main slogans were toppling the Prachanda-led pres

Nepal's SC sets hearing on petitions against TikTok ban on Nov 20

Nepal's Supreme Court on Friday said it will hold the preliminary hearing of the writ petitions filed against the government's decision to ban the Chinese-owned social network platform Tiktok on Monday. The Nepal government on Monday decided to ban the popular social media platform, citing its negative effects on social harmony. Legal practitioners filed 10 writ petitions at the apex court against the government's decision to ban TikTok in the Himalayan nation on Friday, the first day of the opening of the courts after the Tihar holidays. After registering the 10 writ petitions, the Supreme Court scheduled the preliminary hearing for November 20, according to a court official. About 10 writ petitions have been registered, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 20, said Spokesperson for the Supreme Court, Bhadrakali Pokharel. He said that all registered writ petitions will be heard on Monday. Senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi, advocate Swagat Nepal, and others have file

EU provides EUR 2 mn to Nepal in humanitarian aid to support quake victims

The European Union has provided a EUR 2 million aid package to Nepal to support the victims of the earthquake which rattled the remote mountain areas in the Himalayan nation earlier this month. On November 3, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted western Nepal's Jajarkot and Rukum districts, killing 153 people and injuring over 260 others. Days later, on November 7, three tremors of over magnitude 4 hit Jajarkot, injuring at least 16 people. The quakes damaged around 8,000 buildings, both public and private. The grant assistance provided by the EU is equivalent to around Nepalese Rs 290 million. It will help provide shelter, access to clean water and sanitation, and health care, among other services, to support the earthquake-affected people in the Jajarkot and Rukum districts of Nepal, a press release issued by the EU Representative Office in Nepal said. In addition, EUR 200,000 has been allocated to the Nepal Red Cross Society via the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the ...

Nepal investigating new international airport in Pokhara made by China

Nepal, one of the poorest countries in Asia, had sought to build an international airport in Pokhara since the 1970s in the hopes of turning the city into a tourist destination

Nepal bans Chinese app TikTok, cites negative effects on social harmony

The Nepal government on Monday decided to ban the Chinese-owned social network platform Tiktok, citing its negative effects on social harmony. According to government spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, Monday's Cabinet meeting decided to prohibit TikTok's use. The decision to ban Tiktok will be implemented through the Ministry of Communication and IT, she said. The Nepal government decided to ban Tiktok due to its negative effects on social harmony, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported. A Cabinet meeting on Thursday made it mandatory for social media sites such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and YouTube, among others, to open their liaison offices in Nepal. Although freedom of expression is a basic right, a large section of society has criticised TikTok for encouraging a tendency of hate speech, the government said. In the past four years, 1,647 cases of cybercrime have been reported on the video-sharing app, the repor

Nepal earthquake: At least 16 more people injured in aftershocks

At least 16 people were injured after three tremors of over 4 magnitude hit western Nepal's Jajarkot on Monday, days after the country witnessed its worst quake in eight years that claimed the lives of 153 people and left a total of 266 others injured, security agencies said on Tuesday. With those injured in the aftershocks on Monday, the total number of people injured in a series of earthquakes in Nepal has touched 266. "Sixteen people were injured when three aftershocks with more than 4 magnitude hit Jajarkot in Western Nepal on Monday afternoon. Ten people were injured in Rukum West and six others were injured in Jajarkot," said officials from the security agencies. Nepal was jolted by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake just before midnight last Friday. Since then the nation has felt several aftershocks. The earthquake, which hit Jajarkot and Rukum West districts in western Nepal, also damaged around 8,000 houses, both public and private, according to officials. Meanwhile, President ..

16 more people injured after 3 tremors of earthquake aftershocks in Nepal

At least 16 people were injured after three tremors of over 4 magnitude hit western Nepal's Jajarkot on Monday, days after the country witnessed its worst quake in eight years that claimed the lives of 153 people and left a total of 266 others injured, security agencies said on Tuesday. With those injured in the aftershocks on Monday, the total number of people injured in a series of earthquakes in Nepal has touched 266. "Sixteen people were injured when three aftershocks with more than 4 magnitude hit Jajarkot in Western Nepal on Monday afternoon. Ten people were injured in Rukum West and six others were injured in Jajarkot," said officials from the security agencies. Nepal was jolted by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake just before midnight last Friday. Since then the nation has felt several aftershocks. The earthquake, which hit Jajarkot and Rukum West districts in western Nepal, also damaged around 8,000 houses, both public and private, according to officials. Meanwhile, Prime Minist

India sends over 9 tonnes of relief material to Nepal after earthquake

On Sunday, India sent an emergency aid package, comprising medical equipment, relief materials and more, for people affected by the magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Nepal

Thousands sleep outside in Nepal after quake kills 157, destroys houses

Thousands of villagers in the mountains of northwestern Nepal slept outdoors Saturday night in the bitter cold after an earthquake killed at least 157 people and damaged or destroyed most homes. Most of the houses in villages in Jajarkot district either collapsed or were severely damaged by the sudden earthquake Friday night, while the few concrete houses in towns were also damaged. We are waiting to cremate the bodies of our villagers and have been trying to take care of the people who were injured in the earthquake, said Lal Bahadur Bika, a resident of Chiuri village, pointing to 13 bodies wrapped in white cloth awaiting cremation on Sunday morning. Most houses in Chiuri village collapsed. People used whatever they could find to set up shelter for the night, using plastic sheets and old clothes to keep them warm. Most people have been unable to retrieve their belongings from under the rubble. Most of those killed were crushed by debris when their houses usually made by stacking

5.6 magnitude quake strikes Nepal, tremors felt across north India

An earthquake of 5.6 magnitude struck west Nepal on Monday and strong tremors were felt in parts of north India, the National Centre for Seismology said. It said the epicentre for the quake was 233 kilometres north of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The quake triggered panic among people, with many in Delhi and the National Capital Region reporting vigorous shaking of furniture. Several social media users shared visuals of people rushing out of residential buildings. At least 157 people were killed and more than 160 injured when a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake, the worst since 2015, struck Nepal on Friday night and destroyed hundreds of houses in the Himalayan nation's remote mountainous region. Nepal lies in one of the most active tectonic zones (seismic zones IV and V) of the world, making the country extremely vulnerable to earthquakes.

India sends medicines, other relief materials to earthquake-hit Nepal

The first consignment of Rs 10 crore worth of emergency relief materials arrived at Nepalgunj, Nepal, on Sunday, the Indian Embassy in Nepal informed through an official release

Nepal earthquake: Residents of affected areas struggle to rebuild lives

Residents of Nepal's Jajarkot district, the worst affected by Friday's deadly earthquake, on Sunday inspected the damages as they faced an uphill task to rebuild their homes and lives. Nepal was jolted by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake just before midnight Friday that killed 157 people and injured over 250 others. Thousands of villagers in north-western Nepal spent Saturday night outdoors in the bitter cold. Locals used whatever materials they could find, including plastic sheets and old clothes, to create makeshift shelters to keep themselves warm through the night. "The house is in terrible condition. There are cracks. Everyone is sitting outside their houses. Four people of the same family died here. In another village, six members of the same family passed away," said Romit Kesi, a resident of the Raut village. People recalled the horror of the night the earthquake struck the area. "The houses which were old and made in traditional style with mud have been damaged. While the others

Earthquake of 3.6 magnitude strikes Nepal a day after devastating quake

While Nepal is still grappling with the devastating earthquake that has resulted in over 157 fatalities, another earthquake, measuring 3.6 in magnitude, shook the Himalayan nation in the early hours of Sunday.The earthquake occurred at 04:38:20 (IST) at the depth of 10 km, 169 km NW of Kathmandu, the National Centre for Seismology informed."Earthquake of Magnitude: 3.6, Occurred on 05-11-2023, 04:38:20 IST, Lat: 28.63 & Long: 83.94, Depth: 10 Km, Location: 169 km NW of Kathmandu, Nepal," NCS posted on X (formerly Twitter).This comes after a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 on Richter Scale jolted Nepal in the late hours of Saturday.This was followed by additional aftershocks, with a magnitude of 3.3, on Saturday afternoon, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the affected population and testing the resilience of the region.Earlier in the day, Nepal Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, assessed the situation visited the affected regions, acknowledging the extensive ...

157 killed as strong earthquake jolts Nepal's mountainous western region

According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, the earthquake with an epicentre in Jajarkot district, about 500km west of Kathmandu, was recorded at 11:47 pm on Friday

Nepal earthquake: India releases helpline number for urgent assistance

"Alert Emergency Contact Number for Indians requiring assistance due to the recent earthquake in Nepal: +977-9851316807 MEA India," India in Nepal posted on X

Why does western Nepal region face threat of a bigger earthquake?

Situated on the precarious Himalayan seismic zone, Nepal is a highly earthquake-prone country and its quake-battered western mountainous region is likely to face a threat of a bigger earthquake, a seismologist says. According to the government's post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) report, Nepal is the 11th most earthquake-prone country in the world. So, when a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal's remote western mountainous region late on Friday night, it was not the first one for the day or for this month. The earthquake in western Nepal just before midnight on Friday was the latest in a long list of over 70 quakes in the country in 2023, official data showed. At least 140 people died in the powerful temblor with its epicentre in Jajarkot district, about 500 km northwest of Kathmandu, invoking the painful memories of the devastating 2015 earthquake. There has been a collision between Indian and Eurasian plates going on underground for a long time which has accumulated ..

Nepal earthquake: Death toll rises to 140; PM Dahal meets affected people

Deputy Mayor Sarita Singh of Nalgadh Municipality in Jajarkot was among those killed in the quake, officials said

India stands with Nepal, ready to extend all possible help: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed anguish over the loss of lives and damage caused by an earthquake in Nepal and asserted that India stands in solidarity with its neighbouring country and is ready to extend all possible assistance. "Deeply saddened by loss of lives and damage due to the earthquake in Nepal. India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is ready to extend all possible assistance. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and we wish the injured a quick recovery," he said on X. At least 128 people were killed and several others injured when a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake jolted western Nepal's remote mountainous region just before midnight on Friday. According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, the earthquake with an epicentre in Jajarkot district was recorded at 11.47 pm.

128 dead as strong earthquake of 6.4 magnitude rocks northwestern Nepal

A strong earthquake shook northwestern Nepal districts just before midnight Friday, and officials said at least 69 people were dead and dozens more injured as rescuers searched mountain villages. Officials said early Saturday that the toll was expected to rise, noting that communications were cut off with many places. The quake, which hit when many people already were asleep in their homes, was felt in India's capital, New Delhi, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) away. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 and occurred at a depth of 11 miles. Nepal's National Earthquake Monitoring & Research Center said its epicentre was at Jajarkot, which is about 250 miles northeast of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu. The quake killed at least 35 people in Rukum district, where numerous houses collapsed, police official Narvaraj Bhattarai said over the telephone. Thirty injured people already had been brought to the local hospital, Bhattarai said. In

Strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 jolts Nepal, tremors felt in north India

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 jolted Nepal on Friday night with tremors reverberating through parts of north India, including Delhi NCR, the National Centre for Seismology said. The epicentre of the quake was in Nepal at a depth of 10 km, the NCS said. People in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) felt strong tremors and rushed out of their homes. This is the third time in a month that strong quakes have struck Nepal.