Seismograph image for representation only. Photo Credit: AP
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck western Nepal on Tuesday, killing one person and damaging several houses, officials said.
Lok Bijay Adhikari, head of the Earthquake Measurement and Research Center, said the epicenter of the quake occurred at 2:43 p.m. local time in Mela area of Bajura district in Sudurpaschim province.
A 35-year-old woman died in Gaumul Rural Municipality-2 while she was cutting grass in a nearby forest, police said.
According to the provincial police chief, the quake damaged several houses in Bajura and Bajang districts.
Two houses were destroyed in Ward No. 7 and Ward No. 9 of Badimalika Municipality of Bajura district, located 450 km west of Kathmandu. Police said that a temple in the municipality has also developed cracks.
More than 40 sheep were killed in a landslide triggered by the quake, police said, adding that one person was injured.
The 5.9-magnitude quake was felt across wide areas of western Nepal, said Monika Dahal, head of the National Center for Earthquake Monitoring and Research. Its tremors were also felt in parts of neighboring India.
Western Nepal is frequently affected by earthquakes of mild to moderate intensity.
In December 2022, three tremors were felt one after the other in western Nepal.
In April 2015, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring nearly 22,000 others. It also damaged over 800,000 homes and school buildings.
(With inputs from Reuters, PTI)