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Bihar-Nepal Earthquake, Jan, 1934
The great Bihar-Nepal earthquake occurred in 1934 with a magnitude of 8.4. The epicentre for this event has been located in the eastern Nepal about 240 km away from Kathmandu. The Valley experienced intensities of IX-X in the Modified Mercalli scale. The majority of the reported destruction from the earthquake occurred in Kathmandu Valley and along the eastern Terai (the plains bordering northern India). A total of 8,519 persons were reported dead and more than 80,000 houses damaged in the country. Kathmandu Valley's share of this was 4296 persons dead and 12,397 houses totally destroyed. Seventy percent of the then-standing houses in the Valley were affected. This event confirmed that, because of its geological characteristics, Kathmandu Valley is susceptible to enhanced damage during an earthquake event.
Table
1.
 |
Causalties of the 1934 Earthquake
|
 |
| |
|
|
Region
|
Men
|
Women
|
Total
|
|
Kathmandu
Valley
|
|
Kathmandu
|
254
|
225
|
479
|
|
Outskirts of
Kathmandu
|
79
|
166
|
245
|
|
Patan
|
250
|
297
|
547
|
|
Outskirts of
Patan
|
871
|
826
|
1697
|
|
Bhaktapur
|
433
|
739
|
1172
|
|
Outskirts of
Bhaktapur
|
65
|
91
|
156
|
|
Totals for the
Kathamandu
Valley
|
1792
|
2181
|
3973
|
|
Eastern Mountainous
Region
|
|
East No. 1
|
163
|
192
|
355
|
|
East No. 2
|
52
|
43
|
95
|
|
East No. 3
|
330
|
527
|
857
|
|
East No. 4
|
698
|
899
|
1597
|
|
Dhankuta
|
162
|
154
|
316
|
|
Sindhuli Gadhi
|
51
|
58
|
109
|
|
Udayapur Gadhi
|
295
|
257
|
552
|
|
Ilam
|
41
|
51
|
92
|
|
Totals for the
Western
Mountainous
Region
|
63947
|
70985
|
134932
|
|
Western Mountainous Region
|
|
West No. 1
|
4
|
6
|
10
|
|
West No. 2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
West No. 3
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
West No. 4
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
Chisapani Gadhi
|
25
|
27
|
52
|
|
Totals for the
Western
Mountainous
Region
|
29
|
36
|
65
|
|
Terai
|
|
Western Terai
|
0
|
4
|
10
|
|
Birgunj
|
16
|
28
|
44
|
|
Sariahi and
Mahattari
|
31
|
20
|
51
|
|
Sirha and Saptari
|
17
|
23
|
40
|
|
Biratnagar
|
13
|
36
|
49
|
|
Jhapa
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Totals for the
Terai
|
77
|
105
|
187
|
|
Totals for Nepal
|
3850
|
4668
|
8518
|
Source:
"The distribution of intensity of the Bihar-Nepal
Earthquake 15 January 1934 and bounds on the extent
of the rupture zone" by M.R. Pandey and P. Molnar,
Journal of Nepal Geological
Socity, Vol.5, 1988.
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