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Powerful quake rocks the Himalayas - India, Nepal and Tibet

20.09.2011

A strong earthquake measuring 6.9 on the richter scale shook northeastern India and Nepal on Sunday evening, 18 September 2011. The earthquake, which triggered landslides, wrecking buildings and sent people fleeing into the streets of Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital, and other cities, initially struck a remote part of the Himalayas at the eastern tip of Nepal. Its epicentre was in India's mountainous Sikkim state. At least 81 deaths have been reported by the quake, while hundreds were injured besides causing extensive damage to buildings and roads. In India, the quake rattled the entire eastern region of Bengal, the North-eastern states of Jharkhand and Bihar and was felt as far away as New Delhi - more than 700 miles to the west, and Rajasthan. According to R. S. Dattatreyan of the Indian seismology office, the quake was followed by two strong aftershocks of magnitude 6.1 and 5.3. The region has been hit by major earthquakes in the past, including in 1950 and 1897.