6.1 magnitude earthquake rattles Nepal; tremors felt in Siliguri, Bihar and other places in India

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal early on Friday, with tremors felt in Bihar, Siliguri, and other neighbouring areas in India, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre.

The earthquake occurred around 2.36 am in Nepal’s Bagmati Province, about 189 km north of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, according to the National Center for Seismology.

The German Research Center for Geosciences placed the magnitude of the earthquake at 5.6, and the depth at 10 km (6.21 miles), while the US Geological Survey pegged it at magnitude 5.5.

A moderate earthquake of this magnitude can cause noticeable shaking and minor structural damage near the epicentre.

“It shook us from our sleep strongly,” Ganesh Nepali, a senior official of Sindhupalchok district, told Reuters. “We rushed out of home. People have now returned back to homes. We have not received any report of damage or injuries so far,” he added.

The impact of Friday’s earthquake was still being assessed, with no reports of damage or casualties. Social media posts showed buildings and ceiling fans shaking in Patna, Sikkim, and Darjeeling.

Pasang Nurpu Sherpa, chairman of the Bhote Koshi rural municipality, where the epicentre is located, told Reuters, “I have no information of any damage so far. The earthquake has triggered a landslide at Dugunagadi Bhir across the river. There are no houses around the site of the landslide.”

Kiran Thapa, district governor of Sindhupalchok, said, “One inmate of the district jail broke his hand while trying to run after the quake and he is now undergoing treatment at a hospital. One police post building developed minor cracks at Kodari.”

“It shook us from our sleep strongly,” Ganesh Nepali, a senior official of Sindhupalchok district, told Reuters. “We rushed out of our home. People have now returned home. We have not received any report of damage or injuries so far.”

Nepal lies on one of the world’s most seismically active zones, where the Indian tectonic plate pushes into the Eurasian plate at a rate of about 5 cm annually.

This tectonic movement not only lifts the Himalayan mountains but also generates immense stress beneath the Earth’s surface. When this stress surpasses the strength of the rocks, it is released as an earthquake, which explains the frequent seismic activity in Nepal and the surrounding Himalayan region.

Nepal’s geology, made up of young and unstable rock formations, amplifies the impact of earthquakes. The high population density in urban centres like Kathmandu, combined with unregulated construction practices, significantly increases the risk of casualties and damage.