Posted: 9:54 am PDT
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On April 25, a 7.8 earthquake hit Nepal, approximately 80 km from the capital Kathmandu. More than a thousand people have reportedly been killed with the number expected to go up. USAID is launching a a DART team to respond. U.S. citizens in need of urgent assistance in Nepal should call +977 1 423 4068. U.S. citizens from the U.S. and Canada needing assistance in Nepal should call 1-888-407-4747 or email the State Department at NepalEmergencyUSC@state.gov. Google has also rolled out its Person Finder.
Via the USGS:
The April 25, 2015 M 7.8 Nepal earthquake occurred as the result of thrust faulting on or near the main frontal thrust between the subducting India plate and the overriding Eurasia plate to the north. At the location of this earthquake, approximately 80 km to the northwest of the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, the India plate is converging with Eurasia at a rate of 45 mm/yr towards the north-northeast, driving the uplift of the Himalayan mountain range. The preliminary location, size and focal mechanism of the April 25 earthquake are consistent with its occurrence on the main subduction thrust interface between the India and Eurasia plates.
Although a major plate boundary with a history of large-to-great sized earthquakes, large earthquakes on the Himalayan thrust are rare in the documented historical era. Just four events of M6 or larger have occurred within 250 km of the April 25, 2015 earthquake over the past century. One, a M 6.9 earthquake in August 1988, 240 km to the southeast of the April 25 event, caused close to 1500 fatalities. The largest, an M 8.0 event known as the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake, occurred in a similar location to the 1988 event. It severely damaged Kathmandu, and is thought to have caused around 10,600 fatalities.
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Major earthquake, NEPAL, Apr-25 06:11 UTC, 88 #quake tweets/min, http://t.co/V6nkT8mnGU
— USGSted (@USGSted) April 25, 2015
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A 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal Saturday morning, claiming 900 lives. How did it happen? http://t.co/W8dBHhucGr
— National Geographic (@NatGeo) April 25, 2015
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Things to know about the Nepal earthquake that killed hundreds and triggered an avalanche: http://t.co/gWjRsxrz9i
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 25, 2015
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India’s defence ministry tweets pictures of aid operation to help victims of Nepal earthquake http://t.co/mQHLMvAAkY https://t.co/SCX3fYKS5B
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 25, 2015
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The Nepal earthquake was centered less than 50 miles northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal. http://t.co/w3DV9S1oqD pic.twitter.com/N0N0iZnCZV
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 25, 2015
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An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.9 shook Nepal on Saturday near Katmandu http://t.co/rditByKca7 pic.twitter.com/HkomwJcTfz
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 25, 2015
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MT-@GoogleCR: Person Finder launced to help track missing persons for #Nepal earthquake → http://t.co/MovGHXXoAb pic.twitter.com/8NNz4BKXIp
— Google (@google) April 25, 2015
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.@USAID @theOFDA is launching a DART team to respond to the #NepalQuake and has authorized an initial $1m to address immediate needs.
— Jeremy Konyndyk (@JeremyKonyndyk) April 25, 2015
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U.S. Embassy is accounting for U.S. Citizens after earthquake. Any U.S. citizens in need of urgent assistance should call +977 1 423 4068.
— U.S. Embassy Nepal (@USEmbassyNepal) April 25, 2015
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1/2 You can alert Dept of State to U.S. citizens needing assistance in Nepal by calling 1-888-407-4747 (from US/Canada). #NepalEarthquake
— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) April 25, 2015
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2/2 You can also contact the Department of State via email at NepalEmergencyUSC@state.gov.
— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) April 25, 2015
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