20 houses damaged in 6.1-magnitude earthquake in Nepal
Kathmandu (PTI): A powerful earthquake of 6.1 magnitude rocked Nepal's capital Kathmandu and damaged 20 houses on Sunday, spreading panic among people and bringing back the painful memories of 2015 when a devastating quake killed about 9,000 people.
According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, the earthquake with its epicentre in Dhading district was recorded at 7:39 a.m.
The tremor was also felt in other districts of Bagmati and Gandaki provinces.
Although no causality was reported, there were landslides in various parts of the district, according to media reports.
Twenty houses were damaged and 75 more have developed cracks at Kumaltari, Jwalamukhi Rural Municipality of Dhading due to the earthquake, the reports said.
Dhading was hit by another three tremors of over 4 in magnitude on Sunday afternoon.
According to the National Earthquake Monitoring Centre, earthquakes measuring 5.1, 5 and 4.1 magnitudes were recorded with their epicentre in Dhading district.
Former ward president Krishna Prasad Kapri said that the details of the damage caused by the earthquake are continuing.
Rajesh Adhikari, a local resident, said that due to the frequent aftershocks of above 4 in magnitude, people stayed outside their houses.
Information Officer of the District Police Office and Deputy Superintendent of Police Santulal Prasad Jaiswar said detailed information on the damaged houses is being collected.
Earlier, an aftershock measuring 4.3 occurred at 8.08 am followed by another of 4.3 in magnitude at 8.28 am and 4.1 at 8.59 am, according to Earthquake Measurement Centre.
The quake and continuous tremors triggered panic among people.
Earthquakes are common in Nepal which is situated on the ridge where the Tibetan and Indian tectonic plates meet and advance two metres closer to one another every century which results in earthquakes.
On October 16, Nepal's Sudurpaschim province was hit by a 4.8-magnitude earthquake.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks killed around 9,000 and injured nearly 22,000 people in Nepal in 2015. A total of 3.5 million people were rendered homeless.
As the government's post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) report noted, Nepal is the 11th most earthquake-prone country in the world.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
