THE SECOND NEPAL EARTHQUAKE OF MAY 12, 2015

(Around Noon, Tuesday) M7.3, 18.5 km depth,

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Disaster Reduction, Vienna,

Virginia, USA Virginia, USA 

APRIL 25TH LOCATION MAP (Credit: AP)

MAY 12TH LOCATION MAP (Credit: USGS)

MAY 12TH LOCATION MAP (Credit: AP)

(LOCATIONS:APRIL 25TH AND MAY 12TH QUAKES (Credit: BBC)

The May 12th earthquake was centered 76 km (47 miles) east of the capital in a hilly area close to the border with Tibet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

It happened at 12:35 PM on the seventeenth day after the M7.8

April 25th earthquake that killed over 8,200, injured nearly 18,000, damaged or destroyed around ½

million buildings, triggered avalanches and landslides, and

damaged roads.

The 17th and 18th Days

The May 12th quake was followed by at least 17

aftershocks, including one M6.3 event, that caused people

to stay outside their homes and buildings and even to

evacuate hospitals.

EARLY REPORTS

• Medecins Sans Frontieres emergency coordinator Dan Sermand said the village of Charikot near the epicenter had suffered the worst damage of the three villages the organization had surveyed by helicopter.

• An Indian Air Force team brought 11 injured people to Kathmandu from the Charikot area.

IMPACTS: ALREADY “BAD” BECOME “WORSE”

• “People panicked and rushed outside houses, buildings, and Parliament buildings, and stay outside because of fear of collapse from the aftershocks.”

• Damaged hospital evacuated.

IMPACTS: ALREADY “BAD” BECOME “WORSE”

• “People panicked.”

• "Damaged houses were further damaged or destroyed.”

• “Houses and schools building spared before were not spared yesterday.”

PANIC: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

BACK OUTSIDE AS AFTERSHOCKS START: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

BACK OUTSIDE AS AFTERSHOCKS START: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

A NEW COLLAPSE: (Credit: XINHAU)

DAMAGE: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

DAMAGE: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

TRAFFIC JAMS AND ROAD DAMAGE: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

NEPAL RESCUE TEAMS: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

AN EXAMPLE OF HEALTH CARE ACTIVITIES

PROJECT HOPE

• Project HOPE deployed a team of 14 medical volunteers and three staff after the April 25th earthquake to coordinate with the World Health Organization, United Nations and Nepal's Ministry of Health.

• Like others, the HOPE Team slept outside many nights before the May 12th earthquake occurred.

PROJECT HOPE

• As panic spread at the Manmohan Memorial Teaching Hospital where HOPE medical volunteers were working, patients were escorted out of the building.

• The medical team swiftly set up a triage center near the emergency room.

• -

BACK OUTSIDE: patients evacuated from a hospital: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

URGENT NEED FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES

• Project HOPE shipped USD $2.2 million of medicines to Nepal to help meet the shortfall in medical supplies.

NEPAL MEDICAL RESPONSE: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

IMPACTS: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE

• “Among the 14 quake-hit districts, some are inaccessible.

• A large part of the population can not be reached because of new landslides and damage to the roads.“

LANDSLIDES AND ROAD DAMAGE

• The area experienced 17 landslides that occurred along a single road between Nyalam County and the Nepal border.

ROAD CLEARANCE IS URGENT

• More than 400 military personnel, police and other emergency relief workers have been sent to the stricken areas for road clearance.

When the April 25th earthquake struck, the

Nepal Army only had nine functioning helicopters,

plus approximately 22 more belonging to private

operators.

GODHATABELA: ARMY HELICOPTER EVACUATING CHILDREN (Credit: AP)

Meanwhile, more than 100 foreign mountaineers and

their Nepali staff were airlifted by private

helicopters, angering many Nepalese waiting for

evacuation and/or relief.

Mounting demands for emergency supplies across the country have

completely overwhelmed local capabilities, prompting India,

China, and the United States to contribute 23 more helicopters to

the relief efforts..

However, some of the helicopters (e.g., the USA’s

Osprey) proved to be useless in Nepal

IMPACTS: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE

• "Some locations are even difficult to reach by helicopter.”

• “We are facing monumental challenge to support the government in these districts, and to have a credible and timely response,"

The main bottleneck to relief efforts is Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Nepal’s one-runway facility

with adjoining helipad, military base, and customs

house that is overwhelmed.

DEATHS AND INJURIES: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE

• At least 76 people were killed in India, Nepal and Tibet, and more than 2,000 were injured in the May 12th earthquake, - - -

• adding to earlier tolls of over 8,200 dead and almost 18,000 injured in the April 25th quake.

FROM BAD TO WORSE ON HOUSING

• The May 12th earthquake added to the housing deficit, which, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reached nearly ½ million (255,954 destroyed; 234,102 damaged) in the April 25th quake.

DIRECTING PEOPLE TO SAFE HAVENS: KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

A TEMPORARY SAFE HAVEN: BHAKTAPUR (Credit: AP)

THE MONSOON SEASON WILL MAKE EVERYTHING WORSE

• The monsoon season, which is due to arrive by the second week of June, will be accompanied by heavy rains and a new wave of landslides triggered on saturated slopes or on slopes loosened by the ongoing aftershocks.