By Brian Lada, Meteorologist
May 12,2015; 6:04PM,EDT
A powerful earthquake, 7.3 in magnitude, struck Nepal on Tuesday, just weeks after an even stronger quake devastated large areas of the country.
The epicenter of Tuesday's earthquake was located 76 km (47 miles) east of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Tuesday's earthquake was able to be felt in the nearby countries of India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, according to reports from the USGS.
Several aftershocks hit in the same area shortly after the main quake occurred at 12:50 p.m. local time (3:05 a.m. EDT). At least half a dozen aftershocks occurred in the vicinity of the 7.3-magnitude quake, all with a magnitude of 5.0 or higher.
"Landslides were reported closer to the epicenter of the tremor in the district of Sindhupalchowk," the LA Times said. The district of Sindhupalchowk is located northeast of Kathmandu.
This earthquake is considered to be a shallow earthquake, having a depth of only 15 km (9.3 miles). Shallow earthquakes of this nature typically cause more damage than those of a similar magnitude at a greater depth.
The Nepal Times added to this, saying that houses have collapsed in Kathmandu, Bhaktaput, Lalitpur, Dolakha, and Sindhupalchok district following the tremor which has left some dead and more injured.
Nepal's Home Ministry reported dozens were killed and more than 1,000 were injured, according to the Associated Press.
AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Adam Douty said that there could be an afternoon or evening thunderstorm around each of the next several days in Kathmandu.
These thunderstorms could cause disruptions to cleanup efforts over the coming days.
Traffic grinds to a halt after an earthquake hit Nepal in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, May 12, 2015. A major earthquake hit a remote mountainous region of Nepal on Tuesday, triggering landslides and toppling buildings less than three weeks after the country was ravaged by another deadly quake. (AP Photo/Bikram Rai)
Chaos. Ground is still shaking #Nepalquake
A four-storey building collapsed in Nayabazar following the earthquake. Pics: @Dambarks #NepalEarthquake
This 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit closer to Mount Everest than the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on April 25.
It is possible that this could have triggered more avalanches around the Mount Everest area, impacting climbers and Sherpas. However, at this time there have been no confirmed reports of new avalanches.
Cleanup efforts from April's earthquake are likely to face major setbacks following this newer earthquake and associated aftershocks.
The death toll from April's earthquake has risen past 8,000. That number will continue to rise following Tuesday's earthquake.
Continue to check back with AccuWeather.com as more information becomes available about this major earthquake.
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