Nepal’s Mustang hit by 5.3-magnitude quake, tremors felt in nearby districts

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal’s Mustang district on Tuesday night, with tremors felt in neighbouring districts but no immediate damage reported. Separately, a landslide blocked the Kimrung River, prompting flood warnings and evacuation advice for downstream communities

Kathmandu: An earthquake measuring 5.3 magnitude struck Mustang district in northwest Nepal on Tuesday. The epicentre of the earthquake was at Lomanthang in Mustang district, 375 km northwest of Kathmandu, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre. The earthquake occurred at 9.53 pm. There was no immediate report of any damage caused by the tremor. It was also felt in neighbouring Manang, Dolp and Myagdi districts.

Mustang is approximately 250 kilometres away from the major flash-flood-hit areas in northern-central Nepal. The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, sent the Bhotekoshi River raging downstream, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects across northern and central Nepal.

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The death toll surged to 1,357 on Tuesday, with over 5,326 people missing. In a separate incident, the Kimrung River in Parbat district of Gandaki Province has been blocked due to a landslide, prompting the downstream communities all the way to the Kaligandaki confluence to remain on high alert.

Issuing a notice at 8 pm Tuesday, the Flood Forecasting Division said that there is a risk of flooding due to the blockage of the Kimrung River. The Kimrung River in Parbat is a tributary of the Modi River. The division has urged people living in Nayapul, Birethanti and surrounding settlements in the lower coastal area to move to safer areas.