Strong tremors were felt across various parts of Delhi-NCR at nearly 1:57 am on November 9, 2022. This happened as the after-effects of a strong Earthquake in Nepal. As gathered by the National Centre for Seismology, Nepal was the epicentre of the 6.3 Richter scale earthquake. As gathered, at least six people were killed and five others were injured.
The sharp jolting of the Earth has destructive impacts on structures and often results in far-reaching degradation. Major Earthquakes have been felt in India over the past 2 decades. The most recent earthquake is expected to renew interest in the area's history of earthquakes and raise concerns about locals' safety from seismic activity.
Here is a list of the most significant earthquakes that India has experienced during the last 22 years:
Nepal Earthquake and aftershocks, April 25, 2015, 7.8
This earthquake was felt all around India. 9,000 people lost their lives during this earthquake. Nepal had a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on May 12, 2015, and an aftershock of 6.7 magnitude on April 26. The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing 22. The aftershock caused fresh avalanches on Mount Everest and was felt in many places in northern India including Kolkata, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, and Assam
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, April 25, 2012, 6.2
A Tsunami warning was issued during this disaster but the casualty rate was not very high. Most coastal villages and cities conduct preventative evacuations. The quake was felt across the eastern coast of India including Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, Bhubaneswar, Vizag and Kolkata. Nearly 10 people died and another 12 were injured.
Sikkim earthquake, September 18, 2011, 6.9
The Sikkim earthquake, also known as the 2011 Himalayan earthquake was a major natural disaster in 2011. There were tremors felt in northern India, and nearly 120 deaths were recorded. The earthquake was felt across northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and southern Tibet.
The majority of the losses happened in Sikkim, and there have been reports of casualties in and around the East Sikkim district's Singtam. In Gangtok, many structures fell. Eleven people are said to be dead in Nepal, three of whom were killed when a wall of the British Embassy in Kathmandu fell. Only a few days prior, a quake with a magnitude of 4.2 struck the Sonipat area of Haryana, causing shakes in the national capital. The quake was the country's fourth major tremor of September 2011.
August 10, 2009 - Andaman Islands - 7.7
The 7.5 magnitude earthquake was the biggest to hit the area since the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004. A shallow magnitude 7.7 earthquake was what caused the tsunami that hit the Andaman Islands. The epicentre was 260 kilometres north of Port Blair, and southeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand all felt the shocks. 26 deaths were recorded during this natural disaster.
Kashmir earthquake - October 8, 2005-7.6
It primarily affected the area around the city of Muzaffarabad, as well as adjacent Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other regions of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian administration. During this earthquake in Kashmir, 1.3 lakh people were killed, and 4 million others were left homeless.
Indian Ocean earthquake - December 26, 2004, Banda Aceh, Indonesia - 9.1
This was considered the third-greatest recorded earthquake and the fourth-deadliest natural calamity in recorded history. It caused a tsunami to strike the coasts of Southeast Asian, South Asian, Australian, and African nations. 2.8 lakh people are killed. The majority of the 11,000 people in India were in Tamil Nadu.
Gujarat earthquake - January 26, 2001 - 7.7
Many Gujarati towns and cities were destroyed by the earthquake that occurred near Bhuj in Kachchh. 20,000+ fatalities recorded. Considerable damage also occurred in Bhachau and Anjar with hundreds of villages flattened in Taluka of Anjar, Bhuj and Bhachau. Over one million structures were damaged or destroyed, including many historic buildings and tourist attractions.
