According to irinnews.org, the capital city of Kathmandu and its surrounding suburbs of some 2.5 million people sit in one of the most seismically active areas of the world. Adding to this risk is the declining standards of construction and a growing population.
image taken from infoplease.com
The last great earthquake that shocked the nation was in 1934 wherein a vast number of buildings as well as lives were lost.
Yesterday, 25 April 2015, Nepal experienced another earthquake. The magnitude was 7.9 and toppled buildings, broke highways and triggered an avalance on Mt. Everest. Horrifying photos grazed the internet to inform everyone of what happened and urging people to pray for the country.
image taken from caravandaily.com
The guardian (www.theguardian.com) writes that more than 1000 people are now reported dead and rescue operations are working full time to salvage those who are trapped and needs immediate help.
It saddens me that a lot of century-old temples and historical buildings were affected too. The ancient Dharhara tower where kings were once crowned has now been reduced to its base.
image courtesy of guardian.com; Photograph by Pete Pattisson
With this catastrophy, a poor country like Nepal may have strains on their resources particularly on tourism. When I first heard the news, I remembered a friend who invited me to one day come to Nepal and try to climb Mt. Everest. Also, it is my dream to visit and be at any UNESCO World Heritage site of which Kathmandu Valley is one of.
I am still hoping to one day set foot in Nepal. .As for now, I am joining the world in praying for its struggle to come out from this disaster.
image courtesy of seen.co
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