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2015 Nepal earthquake facts for kids

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2015 Nepal earthquake
2015 Nepal depremi (7).jpg
Damaged homes in Kathmandu after the April mainshock.
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
Magnitude 7.8 Mw
8.1 Ms
Depth 8.2 km (5.1 mi)
Epicenter 28°13′48″N 84°43′52″E / 28.230°N 84.731°E / 28.230; 84.731
Fault Main Himalayan Thrust
Type Thrust
Areas affected
Max. intensity X (Extreme)
Peak acceleration 0.25 g
Peak velocity 108 cm/s
Aftershocks 7.3 Mw on 12 May at 12:50
6.7 Mw on 26 April at 12:54
459 aftershocks of 4 Mw and above as of 24 May 2016
Casualties 8,857 dead in Nepal and 8,964 in total, 21,952 injured, 3.5 million homeless
Earthquake Leads Office Evacuation - Ashram - Sector-V - Salt Lake City - Kolkata 2015-04-25 5980
Evacuation in Kolkata.

On April 25, 2015, a very strong earthquake hit central Nepal. It measured 7.8 on the moment magnitude scale. The earthquake also caused shaking in parts of India, Bangladesh, and the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. People also felt tremors in Bhutan and Pakistan. Many smaller earthquakes, called aftershocks, happened afterward. This was the biggest earthquake to hit Nepal since the 1988 Nepal earthquake and the Nepal–Bihar earthquake.

Why Earthquakes Happen in Nepal

Earthquakes happen when huge pieces of the Earth's outer layer, called tectonic plates, crash into each other. In this area, the Indian Plate is slowly pushing into the Eurasian Plate. This collision causes a lot of pressure to build up. When this pressure is released suddenly, it causes an earthquake.

What Happened During the Earthquake

The main earthquake had its center, called the epicenter, east of Kathmandu. It happened around 12:30 PM and was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep. The shaking was felt across a large area, including all of North and East India.

Impact and Damage Caused

The earthquake caused a lot of damage and sadness. More than 8,800 people died in Nepal. Over 1,000 of these deaths were in the Kathmandu Valley. In India, 78 people died, 25 in China, and four in Bangladesh. More than 18,900 people were injured. Many people from other countries who were visiting or working in the area also died.

The earthquake also caused a huge avalanche on Mount Everest. This avalanche killed at least 19 people, including a Google engineer named Dan Fredinburg. Many important historical buildings were destroyed. These included Kathmandu Durbar Square, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The famous Dharahara tower, built in 1832, also collapsed. The Manakamana Temple in Gorkha and the northern side of Janaki Mandir were also damaged.

A second major earthquake, measuring 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale, hit Nepal and parts of India on May 12, 2015. Its epicenter was about 18 kilometers (11 miles) southeast of Kodari, Nepal.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Terremoto de Nepal de abril de 2015 para niños

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