Nepal 2015 Earthquake

On Saturday, the 25th of April 2015, a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck the center of Nepal, in the city of Kathmandu, causing 8500 to almost 9000 deaths, and many severe
injuries. This earthquake, also known as the Gorkha earthquake, destroyed more than 600,000 structures and buildings. The Gorkha earthquake started at 11:56am NST at a depth of around
15km, with its epicenter approximately 3km east-southeast of Lamjung and 77km northwest of Kathmandu. The earthquake lasted for under two minutes.

The earthquake was caused by the release of stress, which was caused by the Indian plate that was subducting and diving underneath the Eurasian plate, which included part of Europe and Asia.
The earthquake occurred on a convergent collsion plate boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plates.

Epicenter and Plates’ Movements Strength of Earthquake

This massive earthquake struck all the way into Mount Everest, which killed 19 people in the base camp. It was climbing season, with 110 people in camp one and 70 in camp two. All the
climbers thought it was a normal day, until their tables and chairs started to shake. They ran out of their tents and saw a massive avalanche heading their way. Many people were running away
and fleeing from this ice tsunami. Other people hid under the tables and chairs for protection. In the tent, the climbers couldn’t see nor breathe. After the tsunami, people were on the risk of
dying from hyperthermia, or squashed to death by the tents, ice, snow and rocks. Many people were narrowly escaping from death. Rescue helicopters could only take a few people at once, and
everyone that was able to walk or move was helping the others by carring things or people who were injured.

Helicopter Rescuing Climbers People Helping Each Other Tents Being Covered in Snow

Back in Kathmandu, many buildings and temples were completely destroyed. Everyone was helping the people who were crashed by the furniture and bricks that fell down.

“We had just checked in our hotel, and then suddenly we were rocking back and forth, like we were on a boat. It happened for a really long time, and we thought that it really wasn’t stopping.
The ceilings were suddenly shaking and everything.” said two tourists who visited Kathmandu from Los Angeles.

“The grounds were sinking, everyone was helping eachother, there were so many bricks everywhere” said a local Nepalese villager.

This earthquake destroyed many homes and businesses. Nepal, being a very religious country, was very sad in the way that the old and ancient Hindu temples that have stood for hundreds of
years, were destroyed.

“I feel so depressed” said another local from Kathmandu when he saw the temple collapse.

17 days later, there was a magnitude of 7.3 aftershock earthquake. This again, affected many people, as they were recovering and re-building everything again. This disaster was crucial and
brutal to many people’s lives. Friends and families died, beliefs and religious temples were gone, and the homes to an enormous amount of people were destroyed.

Organizations responded quickly to the disaster by sending search and rescue teams along with immediate first aid deliveries. There is still a long way to go to rebuild the schools, health clinics,
houses, livelihoods, and to help families and communities react to further environment shocks in the future. In Mount Everest, many pathways and roads were still blocked by ice. The rescue
team could only rescue two people at a time, and they needed to have two rides in order to get warmed and back onto the mainland, which caused others a risk of dying from hyperthermia.
There was also limited amount of food and water, which made sharing among everyone else a tough job.

Before and After of a Field Destroyed Homes Before and After of a Tourist Point