April 25 in History
2015 – Nearly 9,100 are killed after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal
The devastating magnitude 7.8Mw or 8.1Ms earthquake with a maximum Mercalli Intensity of X (Extreme), occurred at 11:56 Nepal Standard Time on this day in 2015, killed nearly 9,100 people and injured 21,952 more. Its epicenter was east of Gorkha District at Barpak, Gorkha, roughly 85 km (53 mi) northwest of central Kathmandu, and its hypocentre was at a depth of approximately 8.2 km (5.1 mi). It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. The ground motion recorded in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, was of low frequency, which, along with its occurrence at an hour where many people in rural areas were working outdoors, decreased the loss of property and human lives.
The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing 22, the deadliest incident on the mountain on record. It also triggered another huge avalanche in the Langtang valley, where 250 people were reported missing.
Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese were made homeless with entire villages flattened, across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Square, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple, the Boudhanath stupa and the Swayambhunath stupa. Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture. Dharahara, also called Bhimsen Tower, a nine-storey 61.88-metre (203.0 ft) tall tower, was destroyed. It was a part of the architecture of Kathmandu recognized by UNESCO.
Continued aftershocks occurred throughout Nepal at the intervals of 15–20 minutes, with one shock reaching a magnitude of 6.7 on April 26 at 12:54:08 NST. The country also had a continued risk of landslides.[
A major aftershock occurred on May 12, 2015 at 12:50 NST with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3.The epicentre was near the Chinese border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mount Everest. More than 200 people were killed and over 2,500 were injured by this aftershock, and many were left homeless.
-Wikipedia
Photo Caption – Damage in the Basantpur Durbar Square – Nirjal stha
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