Apps and social media in the time of earthquake

KATHMANDU, May 28: After the big earthquake of April 25, Nepalis all over the world have been using various earthquake-related apps besides actively posting information on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Along with various national and international non-government organizations, various government bodies like Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, National Seismological Center, etc have been actively posting and sharing credible information regarding earthquake information, casualties, death tolls, and relief and rescue operations via hotline telephone numbers, websites, and social networking sites.

Currently, 'Nepal Earthquake Updates', an app developed by the Department of Mines and Geology, Nepal Government, reigns as the top free Android app in Nepal right now. It provides detailed information about earthquakes in Nepal, i.e. Local Magnitude of Earthquake in Richter Scale, Epicenter Location, NST local time and Previous records. While many user reviews of the app saw complaints regarding its constant display of 'connection timed out', others have labeled it "relevant" and "easy to use".Similarly, 'Earthquake Alert!' which charts second among the top free Android app in Nepal right now, has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars. It provides information of the latest quakes in the world, features the magnitudes of the quake on map and satellite map view, etc.

One of the users of 'Earthquake Alert!', Manish Kadel, a student, says he uses it to receive authentic news about the ongoing aftershocks.

"I have been using this app for a while and it's quite efficient. It provides fast updates concerning the exact scale of the aftershock along with its epicenter and time. I believe the information helps to reduce rumors regarding the magnitude of the earthquake. Getting confirmation that the aftershock was less than 5 Richter Scale, for example, helps us to remain calm," he shares.

Similarly Pradeep Ghimire, another student asserts the importance of information technology for a panic-free mentality. He uses an app called 'Earthquake' which has been helping him to "quench his curiosity" regarding the tremor.

"Many times, the earth hits another tremor and we often do not know about it. But thanks to the app, I can check all essential information about the aftershocks—even those I failed to feel—so I can feel relaxed that there won't be another big tremor for a while," he says.

Many Nepalis, most of those who don't have an access to Internet, have been using the toll free hot line number 1618014410141 for updates on latest aftershocks. Upon dialing the number, an automated voice gives the information to the caller regarding the latest aftershock's time, epicenter and magnitude.

The website of the seismological department—seismonepal.gov.np—is constantly being updated to provide the latest earthquake data to the visitors, too.

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