Earthquake victims in Bajura live in renewed fear

By Sher Bahadur Sarki,Bajura, Oct. 16: Residents of Bajura district who were previously affected by earthquakes and landslides have once again been gripped by fear following another tremor that struck early on Wednesday morning. 

At around 1:08 am, the region was jolted by an earthquake that caused houses to shake, reviving trauma among locals whose homes had already cracked or collapsed in earlier quakes over the past two years.

Bajura has faced a series of tremors, notably those centred in Jugada and Gotri on April 18, 2023, and December 21, 2024, which damaged hundreds of homes and left dozens completely destroyed.

The repeated disasters have left many residents living under makeshift shelters, while others remain in damaged homes out of necessity. 

With winter approaching, locals are increasingly worried about where to take shelter, inside cracked houses at the risk of collapse, or outside in the cold.

“We don’t know where to live now,” said Dev Bahadur Dhami, a resident of Rila, Badimalika Municipality–4. 

“The earlier quake had only shaken the house, but this time, deep cracks have appeared all over. If a stronger tremor strikes, it might collapse completely. Yet staying outside means facing the cold and falling ill,” said Dhami.

Dhami added that even those who lost their homes two years ago and have since been living under tarpaulin sheets have not yet received permanent housing support. The latest quake has intensified their distress and sense of insecurity.

According to Arjun Nath, Chairperson of Badimalika Municipality–4, while no casualties have been reported, four houses have developed major cracks in Rila. “We have dispatched technical teams to assess the situation,” Nath said. “Once the field reports arrive, we will have a verified record of the damage and submit it to the concerned authorities.”

The damaged houses were all built of mud and stone, making them particularly vulnerable to seismic activity, Nath added.

According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, the quake measured 4.9 magnitude on the Richter scale and had its epicenter in Dantola, Bajhang.

Earlier quakes have caused significant damage in the region: the December 21, 2024 quake (magnitude 5.2) centred in Gotri, Jagannath Rural Municipality–5, had cracked around 16 houses, while the April 28, 2023 quake inflicted widespread damage across Gaumul, Himali, Badimalika, Budhigunga, Khaptad, and Chhededaha municipalities, leaving 104 houses fully destroyed, 509 partially damaged, and 463 with minor cracks, according to the District Police Office, Bajura.

District Police Chief Iqbal Hawari said no reports of house collapse have been received so far following Wednesday night’s tremor.