-
Kangchengyao mountain range in Northern Sikkim, east of Thanggu (Credit: Carsten Nebel)
-
At least 79 have been killed and 100,000 homes have been ruined as a result of a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked a remote Himalayan region encompassing India, Nepal and Tibet. Rescue workers and more than 6,000 troops are working day and night to pull victims from the rubble cause by heavy run and mudslides that followed the quake, which is being cited by experts as the strongest jolt to hit that part of the world in 20 years.
Sikkim, India accounted for 50 deaths in the entire toll. The Himalayan region has experienced more than its fair share of natural disasters. In the last 50 years, more than 94,000 people have been killed by building collapses caused by earthquakes in the area.
The question of today is whether or not social media and other digital platforms helped prevent casualties that may have occurred had there not been any online communication during the Himalayan quake.
