Nepal jolted by 5.0-magnitude earthquake days after devastating flash floods

Nepal's Kathmandu was jolted by a 5.0-magnitude earthquake late Tuesday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said, days after another tremor struck the country and as the Himalayan nation continues to grapple with the aftermath of devastating flash floods.

The earthquake occurred at 9:38:39 pm IST on Tuesday, at a depth of 143 km, according to the NCS. Its epicentre was located at 29.022°N latitude and 83.978°E longitude in Nepal.

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There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from Tuesday night's earthquake.

The latest tremor came two days after a 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on Sunday, September 6, according to the NCS. The quake occurred at 6:59:47 pm IST, at a depth of 20 km, with its epicentre at 27.747°N latitude and 86.163°E longitude.

Earthquakes hit Himalayan region

The latest earthquake also follows a magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck Tibet on September 3.

The NCS said the Tibet quake occurred at a depth of 14 km.

The sequence of tremors comes days after a devastating flash flood struck Nepal's Rasuwa district along the Tibet border on August 26. The disaster swept through the Bhote Koshi River, destroying settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.

The flooding also triggered a mudslide at Gyirong Port on the Tibet side of the border.

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Nepal flood disaster

The flash floods were initially suspected to have been triggered by an earthquake, but the US Geological Survey later determined that the disaster was caused by a glacial collapse and debris flow, and that no earthquake had occurred.

According to the latest figures reported, at least 1,252 people had died and 3,916 remained missing as rescue operations continued into their eighth day. Nearly 9,500 people had been rescued, while authorities also warned of renewed rises in the Bhotekoshi River.

The disaster has affected both Nepal and Tibet, with the latter reporting fatalities and hundreds of people missing. Meanwhile, 16 people had died in Tibet and around 550 remained missing, according to Chinese media reports.