Earthquake experts met a week before Nepal disaster

Updated
Earthquake Experts Met A Week Before Nepal Disaster
Earthquake Experts Met A Week Before Nepal Disaster


Earthquake experts say they knew Nepal would be hit by a natural disaster.

According to the Newser about 50 scientists from around the world traveled to Kathmandu one week ago to figure out how to prepare the region for a major tremor. But the massive disaster happened much sooner than they expected.

A seismologist told the Press, "It was sort of a nightmare waiting to happen. I was walking through that very area where that earthquake was and I thought at the very time that the area was heading for trouble. Physically and geologically what happened is exactly what we thought would happen."



The region rests on two major tectonic plates, making it prone to earthquakes. In 1988, a magnitude-6.9 tremor killed almost 1,500 people.

Experts say they were trying to avoid a repeat of 1934 when a massive 8.0 magnitude quake leveled the city and killed more than 10,000 people.

According to The New York Times, more than 2,200 people have died from Saturday's massive quake and Nepal has reported several aftershocks, including one that had a magnitude of 6.7.

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