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Major 7.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Already Devastated Nepal

The tremor struck this May 12 at 7:05 UTC, was an aftershock to the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that happened on April 25

May 12, 2015 11:26 GMT  ·  By
Map reveals the epicenter of today's earthquake
   Map reveals the epicenter of today's earthquake

Earlier today, Nepal was hit by yet another major earthquake. The tremor occurred at 7:05 UTC and had a recorded magnitude of 7.3. 

This latest earthquake to happen in Nepal struck at a depth of 15 kilometers (roughly 9.3 miles) and at a distance of 76 kilometers (47 miles) north-northeast from the country's capital city, Kathmandu.

In a map produced by a team of USGS geologists and available next to this article, the earthquake's epicenter is marked with a star.

The tremor was an aftershock to the April 25 earthquake

About two and a half weeks ago, on April 25, the country of Nepal in Asia experienced a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that caused severe damage to local infrastructure and killed thousands of people.

This April 25 shake occurred when a chunk of the planet's crust ruptured along the collision zone where the plate supporting India crashes into and dives under the one carrying Asia.

The 7.8-magnitude tremor was so strong that it pushed the ground around Kathmandu upwards by about 1 meter (3 feet) and shrunk nearby Mount Everest by 2.5 centimeters (approximately 1 inch).

According to USGS experts, the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal today was an aftershock to the April 25 shake. Thus, it too happened along the same collision zone.

“The May 12, 2015 event is the largest aftershock to date of the 7.8-magnitude April 25, 2015 Nepal earthquake,” the researchers write in a statement detailing the circumstances of this latest Nepal tremor.

Today's earthquake was expected, as was the main shock

The plate carrying India has been shown to be encroaching on the one accommodating for Asia at a speed of about 45 millimeters / year (1.77 inches / year).

The area where these two plates meet is known to harbor loads of seismic tension, and so the April 25 7.8-magnitude earthquake wasn't exactly a surprise for geologists.

Neither was today's tremor. Shortly after the main shock that happened towards the end of last month, specialists warned that not all the seismic tension had been released.

Thus, geologists said that another devastating earthquake could very well happen in this corner of the world. As it turns out, their predictions were spot on.

In fact, it was said that more or less severe aftershocks might happen for up to a year after the April 25 main shock that rearranged the ground around Nepal's capital city.

The earthquake that struck today claimed its own victims

As mentioned, last month's 7.8-magnitude event killed thousands of people. Latest reports put the death toll at about 8,000, but many say more victims are yet to be found.

Apart from destroying whatever buildings were left standing and triggering a series of landslides, today's tremor claimed its own victims. According to The Guardian, 19 people have so far been confirmed dead.

Since search and rescue operations are still underway, it is to be expected that the death toll for this May 12 earthquake will increase in the hours to come.