2015 Nepal earthquake facts for kids
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Damaged homes in Kathmandu after the April mainshock.
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| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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.
Contents
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
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Map of the earthquake and aftershocks at 12 May, showing location of major historical earthquakes
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M6+ Himalayan region earthquakes, 1900–2014
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USGS shakemap.
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Fatality reports by the media as a function of time, compared to the QLARM calculation (horizontal line) made after the rupture area of the Kathmandu earthquake had been mapped. Uncertainty extent given by the vertical solid line. The source for news reports is the NINTRAS web site of the Swiss Seismological Service. All reports, including lower values exceeded by others, are given.
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People waiting on airport tarmac for flights after aftershocks forced the airport to open all exit doors
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Damage in the Basantpur Durbar Square
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Building damage as a result of the earthquake
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Damaged building in Balaju area
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Road damage in Nepal
See also
In Spanish: Terremoto de Nepal de abril de 2015 para niños
