Nepal is about to suffer a Haiti-like earthquake

While Haiti has not yet overcome the aftermath of the earthquake last month, scientists have warned of the risk of a more devastating earthquake in Nepal.

View on a street in Kathmandu city.Photos: wikimedia.org .

According to AFP, geologists say the possibility of an earthquake in Nepal's capital Kathmandu - home to 2.5 million people - is only a matter of time. The concern is that most houses in Kathmandu are relatively sketchy and close together.

Nepal lies on the boundary between two tectonic plates. For millions of years these two plates have moved together to create the Himalayas. Geological experts believe that the upcoming earthquake in Nepal could be 8-10 times stronger than the earthquake in Haiti last month, resulting in more than 212,000 deaths.

For decades Nepal has not suffered any major earthquake. So scientists are concerned that people in this country may be subjective or unaware of the severity of the problem.

"Geologically, the risk of earthquakes in Nepal is huge. The area west of Kathmandu is undergoing processes that can cause seismic activity. During the past few hundred years, there has been no earthquake. happening here, " David Petley, an earthquake expert at Durham University, UK, warned.

According to Petley, the longer the interval between earthquakes, the greater the intensity of the seismic.

Experts are concerned that only a few buildings in Nepal are able to stand firm after a strong earthquake.Photo: everestarirang.com.

Many other major cities in the region are also affected by the upcoming earthquakes. However, a study by US-based GeoHazards - shows that Kathmandu will be the most devastated place. Most buildings in the city are relatively weak and sketchy. In addition, the city is built on a soft sediment layer of a former lake. These factors make Kathmandu vulnerable to devastation when seismic events occur.

Like Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, Kathmandu has only one airport and the airport has a single runway. But the capital of Nepal is different from Port-au-Prince in that it has no seaport. Scientists believe that the only three routes leading to the city may be destroyed by earthquakes.

Nepal is currently one of the poorest countries in the world. The decades-long civil war and years of political unrest have left Nepal's heavy infrastructure infrastructure. Even in the capital Kathmandu, only 8 fire trucks can be counted. Experts warn that only a few hospitals and government buildings can stand firm after a strong earthquake.

"What we see in Haiti is: When the earthquake struck the capital and destroyed government facilities, rescue and relief operations became extremely difficult , " Petley said.