The National Geophysical Research Institute has warned that several aftershocks were likely to follow in the days to come following the magnitude 7.4 quake that struck Nepal this morning.
The NGRI said the earthquake was a typical Himalayan earthquake caused due to collision of Indian plate with the Eurasian plate with an overall convergence rate of 5 cm a year. Earthquakes in this region are quite expected and the largest earthquake of magnitude 8.4 occurred in 1934 on the Bihar-Nepal border which was quite destructive. The other notable earthquakes of great magnitude in Himalaya are the 1897 Shillong and the 1950 Indo-China earthquake each of magnitude 8.7.
The seismic waves due to the Saturday’s earthquake propagated across the sub continent and were felt in various parts of the country. However, no damage was expected due to these waves within the Indian peninsula, particularly Telangana and Andhra Pradesh regions are safe.