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| The morning of 25 April 2015 was same all over the world as any other day. But at 11.56 NST an earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes struck the land of Nepal and created the worst natural disaster since the earthquake of 1934. Let’s know some of the facts about Nepal Earthquake, 2015 that shook the humanity:
1. One of the Biggest Earthquakes!
The earthquake on the morning of 25th April 2015 was the biggest earthquake that Nepal had felt in over 80 years. The last tragedy that Nepal experienced before this was the 1934 Nepal – Bihar earthquake.
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2. The Epicenter
The Epicenter of the Nepal earthquake was approximately 34 kilometers east – southeast of Lamjung, Nepal. The earthquake lasted about fifty seconds causing flattening of the entire village at epicenter and areas nearby it.
3. The Intensity
The Nepal Earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.8 on Richter Scale. This earthquake released energy equivalent to about 79 lakh tons of TNT which are 504.4 times the energy which was created by the atomic blast on Hiroshima in 1945.
An hour after the earthquake, its aftershock was felt. The aftershock was of 6.6 magnitudes and caused as much damage as the main earthquake itself.
5. A jolt that moved the earth!
The earthquake caused a shift of earth’s surface which is estimated to have been 3 meters in 7,200 km. Some parts of the city of Kathmandu, which is the capital of Nepal was lifted by about 3 feet, vertically. This caused severe damage in the capital city.
6. Death Toll in Nepal
The earthquake resulted in the death of about 5,057 people in Nepal alone. More than 8,000 people of Nepal were injured.
7. Affected the highest peak!
Even the mighty Mount Everest felt the tremors of the earthquake and is now 2.5 cm shorter than its height before the earthquake.
8. Loss of lives on Mount Everest
The earthquake caused a massive avalanche on the slope of Mount Everest which took the life of 18 people and injured at least 30 climbers. Just after the avalanche, about 200 people were left stranded on the mountain as help couldn’t reach them due to the risky condition of the mountain. Also, there were some climbers who were reported missing after the avalanche.
9. Langtang Valley Landslide
kilometer wide landslide occurred at Langtang Valley which is located in Langtang National Park. Only 12 local people and two foreigners are believed to have survived this mass destruction.
10. Infrastructure wasn’t up-to-date!
After the earthquake, it was discovered that the infrastructure of Nepal was critically feeble and wasn’t prepared to stand a calamity. The houses built were not properly engineered and were not according to disaster management standard. The lack of properly paved roads caused a delay in assistance to reach remote regions. Adding to the woes was the lack of terminals at Kathmandu airport due to which planes filled with help were left to idle on the tarmac.