Disaster management
April 2015 Nepal Earthquake
NEPAL
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country located in South Asia. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres and a population appromximately 27 million. Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country.
Geographical Feedback
- Nepal is particularly prone to earthquakes. It sits on the boundary of two massive tectonic plates – the Indo-Australian and Asian plates.
- It is the collision of these plates that has produced the Himalaya mountains, and with them, earthquakes.
- The earthquake in Nepal occurred because of two converging tectonic plates: the India plate and the overriding Eurasia plate to the north.
- As the Indian subcontinent pushes against Eurasia, pressure is released in the form of earthquakes.
Plate Boundary Map and Plate Movement
Youtube Link below
What caused the Nepal earthquake?
CASUALITIES AND DISTRUCTION
- The April 2015 Nepal earthquake killed more than 8,800 people and injured more than 23,000. It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake.
- Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless with entire villages flattened, across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed.
- Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture.
Measures to be taken by people if caught in an earthquake of large magnitude
- Stay Calm!
- If you're indoors, stand against a wall near the center of the building, stand in a doorway, or crawl under heavy furniture (a desk or table). Stay away from windows and outside doors.
- If you're outdoors, stay in the open away from power lines or anything that might fall. Stay away from buildings (stuff might fall off the building or the building could fall on you).
- Don't use matches, candles, or any flame. Broken gas lines and fire don't mix.
- If you're in a car, stop the car and stay inside the car until the earthquake stops.
- Don't use elevators (they'll probably get stuck anyway).
After the Earthquake :
- Check yourself and others for injuries. Provide first aid for anyone who needs it.
- Check water, gas, and electric lines for damage. If any are damaged, shut off the valves. Check for the smell of gas. If you smell it, open all the windows and doors, leave immediately, and report it to the authorities (use someone else's phone).
- Turn on the radio. Don't use the phone unless it's an emergency.
- Stay out of damaged buildings.
- Be careful around broken glass and debris. Wear boots or sturdy shoes to keep from cutting your feet.
- Be careful of chimneys (they may fall on you).
- Stay away from beaches. Tsunamis and seiches sometimes hit after the ground has stopped shaking.
- Stay away from damaged areas.
- If you're at school or work, follow the emergency plan or the instructions of the person in charge.
- Expect aftershocks.
CHALLENGES FACED BY THE RESCUE TEAM
Governments across the globe have developed emergency assistance following Nepal's deadliest earthquake in nearly a century. The rescue teams had faced many increasing challenges during the mission.
Some of which were beacuse of the following :
- Death tolls were continually rising. Tragically, more bodies were being pulled from collapsed buildings every hour.
- Blocked roads, collapsed buildings, and continuing aftershocks pose major setbacks for emergency crews searching for survivors in the capital and cut-off rural areas.
- Communication was very down in many areas. Widespread destruction, rubble and landslides prevented access to prvovide aid in many vilages.
- Communications systems were congested and hospitals were crowded and were running out of room for storing dead bodies.