April 2015 Nepal earthquake
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 on 25 April. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8Mw.[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]
   Kathmandu | |
| UTC time | 2015-04-25 06:11:25 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 607208674 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 25 April 2015 |
| 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°13′48″N 84°43′52″E / 28.230°N 84.731°E[1] |
| Type | Thrust[1] |
| Areas affected | |
| 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 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 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
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "M7.8 – 36 km E of Khudi, Nepal". United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ "Nepal Says Earthquake Rebuilding Cost to Exceed $10 Billion". 28 April 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2017 – via www.bloomberg.com.
- ↑ "M6.6 - 44km E of Lamjung, Nepal".
- ↑ "M6.7 - 21km SSE of Kodari, Nepal". usgs.gov.
- ↑ "Aftershocks of Gorkha Earthquake". National Seismological Centre, Nepal. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Incident Report of Earthquake 2015". Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal. drrportal.gov.np. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Chidanand Rajghatta (26 April 2015). "Is this the 'Big Himalayan Quake' we feared?". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ↑ "M7.8 – 34 km ESE of Lamjung, Nepal". United States Geological Survey. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- ↑ "What 1934 Told Nepal to Expect About the Next Big Quake".
- ↑ "Timeline: Nepal 2015 to 1934, the worst quake disasters in the last 80 years". Retrieved 28 April 2015.
- ↑ nytimes.com 2015-04-27 katmandu-nepal-fear-loss-and-devastation, nytimes.com; accessed 28 April 2015.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Up to 250 missing after avalanche hits Nepal trekking route". "Mail Online". Retrieved 28 April 2015.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "Experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a killer quake". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
- ↑ "Earth Quake-hit Nepal at high risk of landslides in coming weeks". Free Press Journal.
