The 2015 Nepal Earthquake

On April 25, 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal with its epicenter in Gorkha district, 77 kilometers northwest of Kathmandu. The quake killed nearly 9,000 people, injured over 22,000, and left 3.5 million homeless. Entire villages in the mountain districts were flattened. Kathmandu's Durbar Square — a UNESCO World Heritage Site with centuries-old temples and palaces — suffered devastating damage. The iconic Dharahara tower, built in 1832, collapsed entirely. Avalanches triggered by the earthquake killed 22 people at Everest Base Camp — the deadliest day in the mountain's history. A major aftershock of 7.3 magnitude struck on May 12, compounding the destruction. The earthquake exposed the vulnerability of Nepal's infrastructure and the inadequacy of disaster preparedness. International aid poured in, but the reconstruction was slow and politically fraught. The disaster did, however, accelerate the adoption of Nepal's long-delayed constitution, which was promulgated in September 2015.