The US Geological Survey clarified Wednesday that the 5.2-magnitude seismic event detected near Kodari, Nepal, was caused by a landslide, not an earthquake, ruling out earlier speculation about a seismic trigger.
The US Geological Survey has clarified that the 5.2-magnitude seismic event detected northwest of Kodari, Nepal, was caused by a landslide, not an earthquake. The assessment, which provides a specific magnitude and location for the event, reinforces the USGS's earlier conclusion that a landslide—not seismic activity—triggered the catastrophic floods in the region.
As The Zioneer reported on Wednesday (Aug 26, 17:48 Jerusalem), the USGS had already stated that a landslide alone caused the devastating floods, contradicting earlier speculation by a Nepalese official who suggested an earthquake may have been the trigger. India dispatched 10 tons of aid to Nepal following the disaster, according to The Zioneer's previous coverage. The new detail (magnitude 5.2, precise location) further solidifies the finding and rules out alternative seismic causes.
The Himalayan region remains prone to landslides and seismic activity, a pattern documented in The Zioneer's ongoing coverage of natural disasters in South Asia. No information regarding casualties or structural damage from this specific seismic event has been released.
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