'Quake survivors may face psycho-social problems'
Recommendations have been made to pay attention to the potential psycho-social problems among the earthquake survivors in the quake-hit areas.
A psychiatric doctor underlined the need of stepping up psycho-social counseling, especially to the women and children who are in a state of fear due to the earthquake.
Citizens have been mentally and psychologically traumatized in earthquake-hit areas, Psychiatric Doctor of Karnali Province Hospital Purna Rawal suggested the government run a complete package of psycho-social programs in the quake-hit areas.
"Aftershocks are frequent in the area. Citizens are in precarious condition. Psycho-social problems can be seen among the people in such situations. All three tiers of governments should pay attention to psycho-social counseling along with relief and rehabilitation", he added.
Meanwhile, the Karnali Province government said that it has deputed a team of psychosocial counselors to the field for counseling services.
CAAN hands over cheque of Rs 10 million to PM Dahal
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) on Wednesday handed over a cheque of Rs 10 million to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal as per its commitment to provide monetary assistance to the earthquake survivors in Jajarkot and Rukum West.
A delegation led by Director General of CAAN Pradeep Kumar had reached the official residence of Prime Minister in Baluwatar this morning to hand over the cheque.
The amount will be deposited in the Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund, according to CAAN Spokesperson Jagannath Niraula.
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Jajarkot at 11:47 pm on Friday killing at least 157 people.
16,570 houses completely damaged due to earthquake in Rukum West
At least 16, 570 houses have been completely destroyed due to the earthquake in the six local levels in Rukum West.
Chairman of the District Disaster Management Committee and Chief District Officer, Hari Prasad Panta, said that this number might increase as data collection is still underway in the district.
Based on the data presented by the municipality mayors and the rural municipality chairpersons in the Committee meeting, the highest number of houses have been damaged in Aathbiskot Municipality of the district.
It is stated that 7,148 houses have suffered complete damage in Aathbiskot Municipality, followed by 3,146 houses in Sanibheri Rural Municipality. Seven hundred and twenty-two houses in Sanibheri have been partially damaged by the Friday night tremor.
Similarly, 1, 987 houses have been completely damaged and 4,374 houses partly damaged in Chaurajahari Municipality while 2,300 houses have been completely destroyed and 3,500 partially damaged in Musikot Municipality.
Likewise, 1935 houses have been completely damaged and 1,258 houses partially damaged in Triveni Rural Municipality while 18 houses have suffered complete damage and 107 houses partial damage in Banfikot Rural Municipality, it has been said.
Almost half of those killed in quake were children
Almost half of those killed in the earthquake on Friday were children, it has been found.
According to data with the police, 78 of the 157 people killed in the quake on the night of November 3 were children.
Of the deceased children, 50 died in Jajarkot and 28 in Rukum West due to the quake, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Santosh Roka.
Twenty eight of 52 people who died in the quake in Rukum West were children, said the District Police Chief Namraj Bhattarai.
"Most of the deceased in Rukum West were children. Two 10-month-old children have also lost their lives," he said.
According to the Jajarkot police, of the 105 deceased in Jajarkot, 50 were children, 33 women and 18 men. In Rukum West, 16 women and eight men died in the quake.
Awaiting relief from a quaking state
Amid frantic search and rescue efforts that are coming to a close, earthquake survivors are awaiting food, shelter and medical treatment from the government that is trying hard to get its acts together, in a grim reminder of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake that killed about 9,000 people and caused loss of infrastructure worth billions of rupees. Hundreds of survivors are spending the night under the open sky after their houses collapsed as a mag-6.4 earthquake hit Jajarkot and east Rukum late Friday.
The emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers held at Singha Durbar on Sunday decided to set up the main liaison office at Surkhet and the auxiliary liaison office at Nepalgunj to make the search, rescue and relief distribution effective.
“The government will provide Rs 200,000 to each bereaved family and government hospitals will provide free treatment to the injured. Makeshift shelters will be managed for the affected,” said government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma.
“Since the reconstruction work cannot be effective through the traditional construction method and the existing procurement act, there is a demand to do the reconstruction work through a robust and effective mechanism. An action plan will be formulated accordingly,” the government spokesperson said.
The modality for providing subsidies for the quake victims to construct houses also figured in the meeting. “Genuine victims should get subsidies, and the houses built should be properly utilized,” said Sharma. The meeting also decided to provide lunch expenses to those deployed in the search, rescue and relief distribution and asked one and all to be patient in this time of disaster.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has issued directives for making the relief and rehabilitation for the Jajarkot earthquake victims effective. Addressing the meeting of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management National Council at Singha Durbar on Sunday, he instructed relevant authorities to conduct relief and rehabilitation operations effectively.
PM Dahal expressed sorrow over the loss of life and properties resulting from the quake and stressed the need to utilize the disaster as an important opportunity for reconstruction.
The 13th meeting of the council was convened to discuss the damage resulting from the earthquake, and the steps the government needs to take in the aftermath of the disaster. On the occasion, PM directed all to be serious in making the post-quake rescue, relief and reconstruction effective, describing the steps taken by the three tiers of the government and other bodies right after the disaster as “positive”.
He said preparations have been made to undertake post-disaster works in a prompt manner by making suitable changes in the existing Acts, regulations and structures based on the best practices in the aftermath of the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake.
“I thank all the parties, the federal government and various agencies, the provincial government and the local governments for their post-earthquake initiatives. We have carried out search and rescue operations. Now we need to concentrate on relief and rehabilitation,” the PM reiterated.
He directed all concerned to manage warm clothes for the earthquake victims and make medical treatment for the injured more effective. Reminding that Nepal is a country vulnerable to natural disasters, the PM acknowledged that the government’s disaster preparedness has not been adequate.
“For the next three days, let us make maximum efforts for relief. The existing Acts, procedures and structures may have to be amended to make reconstruction works more effective. We need to make a sound review of our past experiences as well,” PM Dahal reiterated.
While 157 people have lost their lives in the quake, six more survivors have been brought to Nepalgunj-based Bheri Hospital for treatment from Jajarkot and Rukum, said Banke’s Chief District Officer, Shrawan Kumar Pokharel. They are among 38 quake survivors brought from the quake-hit districts to Nepalgunj for treatment.
Open air medical facility
A 10-bed health facility at Barekot, the epicenter of the quake, is attending to those injured in the quake in the open as the jolt has also damaged its building. Senior ANM Kalpana Rokaya said temporary arrangements are in place for providing healthcare services majorly targeting the quake survivors. Meanwhile, Jajarkot continues to experience the aftershocks of Friday’s quake.
Seismological team in Jajarkot
A team from the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center at Lainchaur has reached Jajarkot to conduct a study on the mag-6.4 temblor. The team under senior seismologist Lokvijaya Adhikari will carry out a comprehensive study and research on the quake, said director-general of the Department of Mines and Geology, Ram Prasad Ghimire. Meanwhile, senior seismologist Adhikari said that the Jajarkot earthquake was not an aftershock of the Bajhang earthquake, but a new one. Four aftershocks have occurred following the earthquake that hit Ramidanda of Jajarkot. An aftershock of mag-4.5 was recorded the same night at 12:08 pm, followed by mag-4.2 jolt at 12:29 pm, mag-4.3 jolt at 12:35 pm and mag-4.2 quake at 3:40 on Saturday afternoon.
Chinese President Xi expresses grief over loss of life, property in Friday's quake
Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed his grief over the loss of life in the earthquake that occurred on Friday night.
In his message of condolence to President Ram Chandra Paudel on November 4, Xi said he was shocked to learn of the strong earthquake in Nepal's Karnali Province, which caused heavy loss of life and property, according to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal.
On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi expressed deep condolences for the deceased, offered sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured, and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The Chinese President stressed that he believes that under the leadership of Paudel and the Nepali government, people in the earthquake-stricken areas will be able to overcome difficulties and rebuild their homes as soon as possible, adding that China is willing to provide necessary disaster assistance to Nepal.
On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Qiang also extended condolences to Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal over the Friday's quake.
Govt announces Rs 200, 000 in relief to families of those killed in earthquake
The government has announced to provide Rs 200, 000 in relief to each family of the people killed in the earthquake.
An emergency Cabinet meeting held on Sunday morning made the decision to this effect, government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said.
At least 157 lost their lives and around 200 people sustained injuries in the earthquake in Jajarkot and Rukum West.
The injured are being treated in various hospitals.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to provide free treatment to the people injured in the earthquake.
Government to provide free treatment to quake injured
The government has decided to provide free treatment to the people of Jajarkot and Rukum West who were injured in the earthquake that occurred on Friday.
An emergency Cabinet meeting held on Sunday morning made the decision to this effect.
Minister of Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet said that the rescue of the quake survivors have almost been completed and all the hospitals in Kathmandu among others are ready to provide treatment to the needy.
The government will bear the cost of the treatment of the injured, he said.
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale was recorded at Ramidanda village in Barekot Rural Municipality of Jajarkot on Friday night.
At least 157 people lost their lives and 197 sustained injuries to the earthquake.
China to provide assistance materials worth Rs 100m
The Government of China announced to provide materials worth Rs 100 million to the earthquake-stricken areas, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song wrote in Twitter today.
As the first emergency response, the assistance materials include tents and blankets from China South Asian Countries Emergency Supplies Reserve, the Ambassador stated.
All these materials will arrive in a couple of days, it is said.
The earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale with its epicenter in Ramidanda of Barekot Rural Municipality-1 in Jajarkot occurred at 11:47 on Friday night.
So far, a total of 157 people from Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim lost their lives while the number of injured crossed 200.
'Government committed for effective earthquake response'
The government has expressed its commitment to ensure immediate rescue, treatment, relief and rehabilitation to the earthquake survivors.
Issuing a press statement today, spokesperson of the government, Rekha Sharma said Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself has already taken proactive initiative for rescue, treatment and relief after reaching the affected areas.
Sharma, also the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, made the commitment not to leave any stone unturned in connection with the rescue, treatment, relief and rehabilitation of the earthquake survivors from the information and communications sector.
Recalling that it is the shared responsibility of all to impart accurate and factual information through mass media and social media at the time of crisis, Minister Sharma extended gratitude to all media workers reporting the natural disaster risking their lives.
The earthquake that occurred on Friday night with its epicenter at Barekot Rural Municipality-1, Ramidanda in Jajarkot has caused huge loss of life and property, stated the press release.
Paying heartfelt tribute to the deceased in the tragic moment, she extended deep condolence to the bereaved families.
The government spokesperson also wished for speedy recovery of the injured.
Minster Sharma also expressed grief over the earthquake-triggered damage to some of the media.
The Ministry has directed its subordinate agencies to deliver service in a routine and patient manner, impart authentic and truthful information and also support in the rescue, treatment and relief operations in the critical time.
Likewise, the Ministry has appealed to the private sector service providers to bear the social responsibility and extend possible support from their end.
Minster Sharma informed that the Nepal Telecommunications Authority in consultation with service providers has reviewed the effects of telecom service due to the earthquake. Minister Sharma further shared that no telecom service has been disrupted in the earthquake-affected areas.
The Ministry has directed the service providers to stay stand-by for service delivery being cautious of possible aftershocks, reads the press release.
Likewise, the Ministry has taken necessary decisions to further activate emergency telecommunications call centers to further ease the delivery of telecom services in the earthquake-ravaged sites.
The state-owned Nepal Telecom Limited has offered free phone call, message and data service for five days at the request of the Ministry with a view to supporting the service delivery to the survivors, rescue workers and general public in the affected areas.
Ncell, the private sector telecom service provider, has also contributed Rs 5 million in the relief fund and offered free call and data amounting up to Rs 4 million.
Nepal quake death toll jumps to 144
The death toll in the earthquake that hit Jajarkot in west Nepal has risen to 144.
Police said that 92 people lost their lives in Jajarkot and 52 in Rukum West, both in Karnali Province.
Deputy Chief of Athbis Municipality Dhan Kumari Shah of Rukum West confirmed the death of 52 people in the district.
Meanwhile, DSP Santosh Roka of the District Police Office, Jajarkot, said that 92 people have been confirmed dead in Jajarkot,
Similarly, the earthquake has also caused a huge damage in both the districts.
Province Police Office spokesperson Gopal Chandra Bhattarai said that a joint team of Nepal Police, Nepal Army and Armed Police Force has been deployed to clear the roads blocked by landslides triggered by the earthquake and to carry out rescue operations.
An earthquake measuring 6.4 in the Richter scale occurred at 11:47 pm on Friday, with Ramidanda of Jajarkot as the epicenter.
Jajarkot is around 500 km west of Kathmandu.
President appeals for rescue and relief of earthquake survivors
President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed sadness over the loss of human lives and property in the earthquake that took place in Jajarkot and Rukum West last night.
According to the Office of the President, he has appealed to the government and all concerned to ensure effective rescue and relief work in the quake-affected areas.
An earthquake measuring 6.4 in the Richter scale occurred on Friday night with its epicenter at Ramidanda in Barekot Rural Municipality-1 of Jajarkot.
PM Dahal leaves for Bajhang to inspect quake-hit areas
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has left for Bajhang on Friday to inspect the quake-affected areas.
Prime Minister Dahal left for western Nepal on a Nepal Army chopper this morning, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat said.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to inspect the quake-affected areas and hold a meeting with the District Disaster Management Committee.
The executive head of the state said that the process of distributing relief materials to the Bajhang quake victims soon.
During a meeting of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council held in Singha Durbar on Thursday, Prime Minister Dahal said that the process of distributing relief materials to the quake victims and reconstructing the damaged structures will be taken ahead.
Gunamati Dhami (40) of Jayaprithvi Municipality-11, Okhal had lost his life to the earthquake on Tuesday.
Police said that the quake caused damage to 135 houses in the district.
Two earthquakes measuring 5.3 and 6.3 on the Richter scale respectively jolted Bajhang district on Tuesday afternoon.
Bajhang earthquake: One dead, 135 houses damaged
A person lost his life to the earthquake in Bajhang.
The deceased has been identified as Gunamati Dhami (40) of Jayaprithvi Municipality-11, Okhal.
Inspector Dipesh Chaudhary, Information Officer at the District Police Office, said that Dhami died after he got trapped in the landslide following the earthquake on Tuesday.
A police team has been mobilized to the incident site, it has been learnt.
As many as 11 persons were injured in the incident.
Two of them returned home after receiving treatment at the District Hospital.
Police said that the earthquake caused damage to 135 houses in the district.
Chaudhary further said that at least 60 houses were damaged in Thalara and 41 houses in Jayaprithvi Municipality.
Two earthquakes measuring 5.3 and 6.3 on the Richter scale respectively jolted Bajhang district on Tuesday afternoon
5.3 M quake jolts Bajura
An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale was recorded on Tuesday.
According to the National Seismological Centre, the tremor struck at 2.42 pm today with its epicenter at Talkot of Bajura.
