Nepal earthquake was a 'nightmare waiting to happen': Experts knew disaster was coming and were in Kathmandu preparing just a week ago 

• Earthquake experts met in Kathmandu last week to plan for similar disaster
• Scientists discussed how the overdeveloped area would cope with chaos
• At least 2,500 people across four countries have died in the earthquake
• Hundreds are still missing after avalanches buried Everest basecamp 
• The quake struck just 11km beneath ground making its force even more destructive 

By Ollie Gillman for MailOnline

Published: 19:40 EST, 25 April 2015 | Updated: 13:10 EST, 26 April 2015

The Nepal earthquake that has killed at least 2,500 people was a 'nightmare waiting to happen', disaster experts said last night.

Just a week ago, 50 earthquake scientists from country the world met in the capital Kathmandu to discuss how the area would cope with such disaster.

Resting on colliding tectonic plates, Nepal is under constant threat of earthquake of natural disaster. 

But experts claim its shoddy infrastructure and poor building standards make the country much less equipped to deal with the aftermath of major incidents. 

Scroll down for video 

The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck 81 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Kathmandu at 06.11 GMT, with walls crumbling and families racing outside of their homes

On Sunday evening the death toll had crept up to 2,500 people across four countries, with hundreds still missing.

Speaking of the Nepalese capital where the scientific meeting was held, one expert said it the devastation was 'an accident waiting to happen'.  

'Physically and geologically what happened is exactly what we thought would happen,' said seismologist James Jackson, head of the earth sciences department at the Cambridge University. 

'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,' said Mr Jackson, lead scientist for Earthquakes Without Frontiers, a group that tries to help Asian cities prepare for disasters. 

Survivor describes rescue effort from Everest base camp

Locals rescued two more dust-covered men, pulling them up on the the street as they work to find and rescue any survivors of the disaster

Survivor freed from earthquake ruins by rescuers in Nepal

Earthquakes of similar magnitude can have bigger effects on different parts of the globe because of the manner of building construction and population density.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake could kill 10 to 30 per one million residents in California, but has killed at least 1,900 in Nepal, and could kill up to 10,000 in parts of Pakistan, India, Iran and China, said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist David Wald.

This is the fifth significant earthquake in Nepal in the last 205 years, including a massive one in 1934 that levelled the city.

'They knew they had a problem but it was so large they didn't where to start, how to start,' said Hari Ghi, south east Asia regional coordinator for Geohazards International, a group that calculates worldwide quake risks. 

Nepal was making progress on reducing its vulnerability to earthquakes, but not quickly or big enough.

Mr Ghi's group, on April 12, updated a late 1990s report summarising the Kathmandu Valley risks.

'With an annual population growth rate of 6.5 per cent and one of the highest urban densities in the world, the 1.5 million people living in the Kathmandu Valley were clearly facing a serious and growing earthquake risk,' the report said, laying out 'the problem' the valley faces.

'It was also clear that the next large earthquake to strike near the Valley would cause significantly greater loss of life, structural damage, and economic hardship than past earthquakes had inflicted.'

And for years there were no building codes and rampant development so homes and other structures could be built without any regards to earthquakes, the report said. There are now building codes, but that doesn't help the older structures, and the codes aren't overly strong, Mr Ghi said.

It's actually even made worse because of local inheritance laws that require property be split equally among all sons, Mr Jackson said. 

'So that means buildings are split vertically among brothers making very thin rickety homes that need more space so people add insecure living space on additional floors, he said.

'The construction is appalling in Kathmandu,' he said.

Poverty and pollution make the problem worse. That's because people don't spend time worrying about some future earthquake because they have more pressing problems.

'If you live in the Kathmandu Valley you have other priorities, daily threats and daily nasty things happen to you in terms of air quality, water quality, pollution, traffic and just poverty,' Mr Jackson said. 'But it doesn't mean that the earthquakes go away.' 

Rescuers find survivors of Nepal earthquake buried in rubble

Nepalese rescue teams remove a body from the rubble of the historic 19th century Darahara Tower in Kathmandu which collapsed in the quake

People search for survivors in the rubble of a destroyed building after the earthquake hit Nepal and surrounding countries at just after 6am GBT time

The earthquake had an epicentre 80 kilometres north-west of Kathmandu,according to United States Geological Survey and strong tremors were also felt in large areas of northern and eastern India and Bangladesh

A man comforts a woman next to a seriously injured person on the ground in the aftermath of the disaster which is thought to have killed at least two 

Volunteers help remove a huge pile of debris from what used to be a building in Durbar Square before the quake which caused extensive damage with toppled walls and collapsed buildings

Huge teams of locals and volunteers help to heave away huge pieces of debris from homes, business and offices left by the earthquake

Panicked residents had rushed into the streets as the tremor erupted with the impact felt hundreds of miles away in big swathes of northern India and even in Bangladesh. 

Video footage showed people digging through the rubble of the bricks from the collapsed tower, looking for survivors. 

Nepal’s capital Kathmandu – with a population of over one million – was one of the worst-hit areas in Nepal, with the quake’s epicentre just 50 miles north of the city. As the tremors intensified, people were seen in scenes of mayhem running from their homes and places of work in panic.

Dozens of people were gathered in the car park of Kathmandu's Norvic International Hospital, where thin mattresses had been spread on the ground for patients rushed outside, some patients wearing hospital pyjamas, while doctors and nurses were treating people. 

The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck 81 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Kathmandu at 06.11 GMT, with walls crumbling and families racing outside of their homes. The 7.8 magnitude tremor was the worst to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years.

Television footage showed a huge swathe of houses had collapsed in while roads had been split in two by the force of the impact.

India was first to respond to Nepal's appeal for help by sending in military aircraft with medical equipment and relief teams. 

Britain has deployed a team of humanitarian experts to Nepal to provide urgent support for people affected by the quake, International Development Secretary Justine Greening announced tonight. 

Ms Greening said: 'My thoughts are with the people of Nepal, in particular all those who have lost loved ones. 

'The absolute priority must be to reach people who are trapped and injured, and provide shelter and protection to those who have lost their homes.

'Nepal needs our urgent humanitarian assistance. That is why we have rapidly deployed a team of humanitarian experts who will immediately begin work assessing the damage and helping the Nepalese authorities respond to this devastating earthquake.'

It came after Prime Minister David Cameron pledged that the UK would do all it can to help in the aftermath on the Nepal earthquake.

On Twitter he said: 'Shocking news about the earthquake in Nepal - the UK will do all we can to help those caught up in it.' 

Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, added his condolences and said the British Embassy was providing help to any UK nationals caught up in the disaster.

'My thoughts are with the people of Nepal and everyone affected by the terrible loss of life and widespread damage caused by the earthquake,' he said.

'We are in close contact with the Nepalese government. The British Embassy in Nepal is offering our assistance to the authorities and is providing consular assistance to British Nationals.' 

Comments (261)

Share what you think

• Newest
• Oldest
• Best rated
• Worst rated

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now