A moderate aftershock measuring 5.5 in magnitude on Friday night saw people running out on streets and open spaces, and left at least 71 injured in Kathmandu Valley.

According to Metropolitan Police Range in Kathmandu, 60 of the injured were reported from Kathmandu, five from Bhaktapur and six from Lalitpur districts respectively. 

Many of those admitted to different hospitals in the Valley with minor injuries have already left for home after receiving treatment, while 19 are still undergoing treatment said Bishwa Raj Pokharel, spokesperson at the Metropolitan Police. 

“Most of the cases suffered from injuries in hand, leg and some had injured their head,” he said, adding that one of them is in critical condition. 

Details of damage on buildings and infrastructure from the aftershock in different districts, including Kathmandu, are not immediately available. 

The aftershock of the Gorkha earthquake with epicentre in Helambu area in Sindupalchok, located 37 kilometres north of Kathmandu, which hit at 10:05 pm (local time), was felt strong in Kathmandu Valley, with districts in the central and western regions—Palpa, Kaski, Syangja, Sindupalchok, Chitwan, Kavre and Tanahun—feeling mild shake, the National Seismological Centre (NSC) said on Saturday. 

“The epicentre was located on the Nuwakot and Sindupalchok border. Kathmandu experienced a stronger aftershock as seismic waves amplified due to its geology that has deep alluvial basin and sediments,” said Lok Bijaya Adhikari, chief at the NSC. 

The devastating earthquake that struck on April 25, 2015 is followed by 429 aftershocks, including the one on Friday, with a local magnitude of over 4. 

“There are chances of mild aftershocks in the coming days,” said Adhikari.