AsianScientist (Apr. 29, 2015) – Nepal was hit by a devastating earthquake on April 25, 2015 at 11:56 am local time. The location of the epicenter was 34 kilometers Southeast of Lamjung, Nepal and at a depth of 15 kilometers, according to data provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Here are six quick facts about the Nepal Earthquake:
1. It had a magnitude of 7.8.
According to the Richter scale, this earthquake is classified as “major”. It is the strongest quake to hit Nepal in 80 years since the last one in 1934, which had a magnitude of 8.0.
2. The confirmed death toll currently stands at over 4,300.
According to the country’s National Emergency Operation Center (NEoC), the earthquake has killed at least 4,300 and injured more than 8,500, with many stranded without shelter, water and electricity.
3. The earthquake was more damaging for a country like Nepal, compared to other developed countries.
While well-developed countries like Japan that have developed technology for earthquake-resistant homes, a large proportion of Nepalese homes are poorly-built and not designed to withstand earthquakes. Consisting mostly of brick and even stone and mud in villages, many buildings were flattened by the shock.
4. The Dharahara tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also destroyed.
The historic nine-story tower in Kathmandu was also destroyed in the earthquake, killing at least 180 people.
5. The earthquake also caused avalanches at Mount Everest
The earthquake also caused avalanches that swept through the Mount Everest Base Camp, enveloping tents and burying climbers. The current death toll there stands at 18, according to the NEoC. The death toll counts four US citizens among those killed, in addition to other foreigners. Climbers at higher camps were also stranded as their ropes and ladders were swept away and had to be evacuated by helicopter.
6. The earthquake moved the ground beneath the capital Kathmandu by around three meters southward.
The Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide in a manner known as a “thrust fault”, pushing against each other. The Indian tectonic plate moves at a rate of five centimeters per year. The same plates that build the Himalayas range and the iconic Mount Everest also cause earthquakes in the region. This movement of the plates caused the Nepal earthquake, shifting the entire region by three meters.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: Sarah Tzinieris/Flickr/CC.
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