April 2015 Nepal earthquake

April 2015 Nepal earthquake

Kathmandu
UTC time	2015-04-25 06:11:25
ISC event	607208674
USGS-ANSS	ComCat
Local date	25 April 2015 (2015-04-25)
Local time	11:56:25 NST[1]
Duration	50 seconds
Magnitude	7.8 (Mw)[1] or 8.1
Depth	8.2 km (5.1 mi)[1]
Epicenter	28.230°N 84.731°E / 28.230; 84.731[1]
Type	Thrust[1]
Areas affected	Nepal India China Bangladesh
Total damage	$10 billion (about 50% of Nepal's nominal GDP)[2]
Max. intensity	X (Extreme)[1]
Aftershocks	7.3 Mw on 12 May at 12:50[3] 6.7 Mw on 26 April at 12:54[4] 459 aftershocks of 4 Mw and above as of 24 May 2016[5]
Casualties	8,962 dead in Nepal,[6][7] 21,952 injured[6] 3.5 million homeless[6]

The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake)^[8] killed 8,962 people and injured 21,952 across Nepal, India, China and Bangladesh. It occurred at 11:56:25 NST on 25 April. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8M_w.^[9] Its epicenter was east of the district of Lamjung. Its hypocenter was at a depth of about 15 km (9.3 mi).^[1] It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake.^[10][11]

The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 19 people.^[12] This makes April 25, 2015 the deadliest day on the mountain in history.^[13] The earthquake triggered another huge avalanche in the Langtang valley, where 250 people were reported missing.^[14]

Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless with entire villages destroyed.^[15] Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley. Experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake.^[16]

Continued aftershocks occurred throughout Nepal within 15–20 minute intervals. One shock reached a magnitude of 6.7 on 26 April at 12:54:08 NST. The country also had a continued risk of landslides.^[17]

It created seven avalanches after. Many Nepalese counties were damaged by the quake.

References

1. "M7.8 – 36 km E of Khudi, Nepal". United States Geological Survey.
2. "Nepal Says Earthquake Rebuilding Cost to Exceed $10 Billion". 28 April 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2017 – via www.bloomberg.com.
3. "M6.6 - 44km E of Lamjung, Nepal".
4. "M6.7 - 21km SSE of Kodari, Nepal". usgs.gov.
5. "Aftershocks of Gorkha Earthquake". National Seismological Centre, Nepal. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
6. "Incident Report of Earthquake 2015". Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal. drrportal.gov.np. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
7. "Nepal earthquake death toll rises to 8,413". The Times of India. 7 May 2015. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
8. Chidanand Rajghatta (26 April 2015). "Is this the 'Big Himalayan Quake' we feared?". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
9. "M7.8 – 34 km ESE of Lamjung, Nepal". United States Geological Survey. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
10. "What 1934 Told Nepal to Expect About the Next Big Quake".
11. "Timeline: Nepal 2015 to 1934, the worst quake disasters in the last 80 years". Retrieved 28 April 2015.
12. nytimes.com 2015-04-27 katmandu-nepal-fear-loss-and-devastation, nytimes.com; accessed 28 April 2015.
13. "Trapped at 20,000 feet: Hundreds of Everest climbers await choppers as supplies run low". Fox News. The Associated Press. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
14. "Up to 250 missing after avalanche hits Nepal trekking route". "Mail Online". Retrieved 28 April 2015.
15. Kaini, Sudip (29 April 2015). "Great Earthquake wipes out Barpak". The Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
16. "Experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a killer quake". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
17. "Earth Quake-hit Nepal at high risk of landslides in coming weeks". Free Press Journal.