A high magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on Saturday morning. Recorded at a high 7.9 magnitude, according to USGS, the quake epicentre was 83 km northwest of Kathmandu and has cause widespread damage as the death toll continues to mount. Northern and eastern parts of India, including Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Haridwar and Patna, felt earthquake tremors as well for about a minute at 11.44 am.
The earthquake has damaged some houses in Kathmandu including a UNESCO World Heritage site and the centuries-old Dharhara tower in the heart of the capital trapping scores of people.
According to the Nepalese government officials the latest toll stands at 688. The toll is expected to rise.
Here are the major earthquakes in the last 15 years:
Feb 27, 2015 : magnitude 5.4, northwest Pakistan, 5 injured
March 30, 2015 : magnitude 7.7, Papua New Guinea coast, no casualties
April 24, 2015 : magnitude 5.9, New Zealand, no major damage
Aug 4, 2014: 6.1 magnitude, southwest China’s mountainous Yunnan province, 367 people killed and 1,881 people injured.
Aug 21, 2014 : 5.0 magnitude, Himachal Pradesh, India, no casualties
Nov 15, 2014 : 7.1 magnitude, eastern Indonesia, no casualties
Nov 23, 2014 : 6.7-magnitude, Nagano City and Hakuba village in Japan, 39 injured, 10 homes damaged
Nov 23, 2014 : 6.3-magnitude, Sichuan Province, China, 80,000 affected.
Nov 7, 2012 : Guatemala and Mexico; 7.4 magnitude; 139 dead
Aug 11, 2012 : East Azerbaijan and Iran; 6.4 magnitude; 306 dead
Oct 23, 2011 : Van, Turkey; 7.2 magnitude; 604 dead
March 11, 2011 : 9.0 magnitude quake triggers devastating Tsunami off-NE Japan; 19,000 dead or missing.
Feb 22, 2011 : Christchurch, New Zealand; 6.3 magnitude; 185 dead
April 14, 2010 : Qinghai province in China; 6.9 magnitude; more than 400 dead
Feb 27, 2010 : Chile; 8.8 magnitude; more than 450 dead
Jan 12, 2010 : Port-au-Prince, Haiti; 7.0 magnitude; about 230,000 dead
Sept 29, 2009 : Sumatra, Indonesia; 7.9 magnitude; 1,000
April 6, 2009 : La’Aquila, Italy; 6.3 magnitude; 300 dead
Oct 29, 2008 : Quetta, Pakistan; 6.4 magnitude; 300 dead
May 12, 2008 : Sichuan province in China; 8.0 magnitude; 87,000 dead or missing
Aug 15, 2007 : Lima, Peru; 519 dead
May 27, 2006 : Java, Indonesia; 6.2 magnitude; more than 5,700 dead
Oct 8, 2005 : Pakistan-occupied Kashmir; 7.6 magnitude; 73,000 dead
Dec 26, 2004 : 9.2 magnitude quake in Indian Ocean unleashes Tsunami; 220,000 dead
Dec 26, 2003 : Bam, Iran; more than 26,000 dead
Jan 26, 2001 : Bhuj, Gujarat; 7.9 magnitude; about 20,000 dead
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