Earthquake of Magnitude 4.6 Jolts Bhutan

Earthquake in Bhutan: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 rocked Bhutan on Monday. According to Indian National Center for Seismology, earthquake jolted region of Xizang at around 5 pm (local time). 

“Earthquake of Magnitude:4.6, Occurred on 26-02-2024, 16:59:29 IST, Lat: 29.68 & Long: 88.15, Depth: 18 Km, Location: Xizang,” National Center for Seismology wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. 

vulnerabilities of Bhutan

Bhutan like many or regions in Himalayas witnesses significant seismic activities due to ongoing tectonic interaction between Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate. However, country is vulnerable to or natural calamities like flooding, wildfire, landslides, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and windstorms. Not only this, county's urban areas are also vulnerable to flooding and extreme heat in south. It is important to note that Bhutan has been exposed to at least 12 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 in last half-century including devastating  2009 earthquake. According to World Bank, earthquake that killed 7 in Bhutan and four in India generated a whopping $97 million in losses.