The late-night stillness of Western Nepal was shattered when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Jajarkot District at 11:47 p.m. on November 3, 2023, claiming at least 157 lives. In the harrowing aftermath, emergency services are tirelessly working to rescue survivors from the devastation, despite the challenge of obstructed roads and landslides that delay aid and personnel.
Felt throughout the region and as far as New Delhi, India, this quake is the deadliest since the calamitous 2015 earthquake that took around 9,000 lives.
In Jajarkot and Rukum Districts, hospitals are full of the wounded, with over 375 casualties in the area, while countless residents, displaced by the destruction or damage to their homes, were compelled to spend the night outside.
The Nepalese Army and Police are at the forefront of rescue efforts, with a particular focus on remote regions that have been cut off by the disaster. Adding to the urgency, ongoing aftershocks continue to threaten the region’s stability.
Nepal’s Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has been personally overseeing the relief efforts, providing support to the victims.
The disaster has inflicted severe damage on local infrastructure, disrupting roads, and communication lines, and complicating relief measures. Some critically injured have been airlifted to Kathmandu hospitals, though rescue operations are hampered by the night and aftershocks.
The international community has stepped forward, extending humanitarian aid to assist the Himalayan nation. While a full assessment of the damages and casualties is forthcoming, officials have succeeded in restoring electricity and telecommunications in some areas.
As the death toll is expected to climb, this earthquake is now among the worst in Nepal’s recent history. The impact has even reached the Gangetic plains of northern India, where seismic activity is amplified by the soft soil.
The parallels to the 2015 earthquakes are stark, with those events having led to a reform in Nepal’s building codes and emergency preparedness—a reminder of the country’s vulnerability to such natural calamities.
