April 2015 Nepal earthquake
20115 CE to 2015 CE
The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed 8,962 people and injured 21,952 across the countries of Nepal, India, China and Bangladesh. It occurred at 11:56 Nepal Standard Time on Saturday 25 April 2015, with a magnitude of Mw 7.8–7.9 or Ms 8.1 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of X (Extreme). Its epicenter was east of Gorkha District at Barpak, Gorkha, roughly 85 km (53 mi) northwest of central Kathmandu, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 8.2 km (5.1 mi). It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–India earthquake. The ground motion recorded in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, was of low frequency, which, along with its occurrence at an hour when many people in rural areas were working outdoors, decreased the loss of human lives.
The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing 22 people, the deadliest incident on the mountain on record. The earthquake triggered another huge avalanche in the Langtang valley, where 250 people were reported missing.
Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese were made homeless with entire villages flattened across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Square, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple, the Boudhanath stupa, and the Swayambhunath stupa. Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture. Dharahara, also called Bhimsen Tower, a nine-storey 61.88-meter (203.0 ft) tall tower, was destroyed. It was a part of the architecture of Kathmandu recognized by UNESCO.
Continued aftershocks occurred throughout Nepal at intervals of 15–20 minutes, with one shock reaching a magnitude of 6.7 on 26 April at 12:54:08 NST. The country also had a continued risk of landslides.
A major aftershock occurred on 12 May 2015 at 12:50 NST with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3.[27] The epicenter was near the Chinese border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mount Everest. More than 200 people were killed and over 2,500 were injured by this aftershock, and many were left homeless.
Subject
Related Events
Showing 1 events out of 1 total
Upper South Asia (2008–2019 CE): Democratic Shifts, Geopolitical Struggles, and Regional Challenges
India: Economic Expansion and Nationalist Politics
India entered this era grappling with the aftermath of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, responding with stimulus measures under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government, which mitigated some economic distress. However, corruption scandals, including the 2G spectrum case (2010), eroded public trust, contributing to the historic electoral victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Narendra Modi in 2014.
Modi championed initiatives such as Make in India, Digital India, and the implementation of a nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017. Politically, India experienced heightened nationalism and controversy surrounding communal tensions, particularly after the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir (2019), integrating it fully into India but prompting widespread debate and unrest.
Pakistan: Democratic Continuity and Political Turmoil
In Pakistan, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government under Asif Ali Zardari (2008–2013) struggled with economic instability, terrorism, and catastrophic flooding (2010). The subsequent 2013 elections brought Nawaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League (N) to power, who pursued infrastructure development, notably through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Sharif’s tenure ended abruptly after his disqualification over corruption allegations following the Panama Papers (2017). In 2018, former cricket icon Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won elections, pledging reforms and accountability amid significant economic and security challenges.
Afghanistan: Persistent Conflict and Political Instability
Afghanistan continued to endure chronic instability despite significant international intervention. President Hamid Karzai (2004–2014) gave way to Ashraf Ghani after disputed elections (2014). The Afghan government grappled with intensifying Taliban insurgency, widespread corruption, and persistent violence.
NATO formally ended combat operations in 2014, transitioning security responsibilities to Afghan forces. However, Taliban control and influence steadily expanded, prompting the beginning of formal peace negotiations between the Taliban and the United States in 2018–19, laying the foundation for future agreements.
Bangladesh: Economic Growth Amidst Authoritarian Trends
Bangladesh, under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, experienced rapid economic growth, driven largely by its textile industry and infrastructure investment. However, economic success was shadowed by increasing authoritarian governance, suppression of dissent, and accusations of electoral manipulation (2014, 2018 elections).
The Rohingya refugee crisis (2017), triggered by violence in Myanmar, strained Bangladesh’s humanitarian resources and international relations, as over 700,000 refugees fled into Bangladesh, creating a major humanitarian and diplomatic challenge.
Nepal: Democratic Stabilization and Reconstruction
Nepal solidified its transition to a secular, federal republic with the promulgation of a new constitution (2015). However, this was followed closely by the devastating April 2015 earthquake, requiring massive reconstruction efforts. The subsequent electoral victory of the communist coalition (2017) under K.P. Sharma Oli brought relative political stability and encouraged infrastructure development.
Bhutan: Strengthening Democratic Institutions
Bhutan consolidated its fledgling democracy, successfully holding peaceful elections in 2013 and 2018. Under King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the nation continued emphasizing sustainable economic practices and its unique policy of Gross National Happiness (GNH), balancing modernization with cultural preservation.
Northwestern Myanmar: Intensified Conflicts and Humanitarian Crises
In Myanmar’s northwestern regions (Kachin, Sagaing, Chin, and especially northern Rakhine), ethnic conflicts intensified. Renewed clashes between the Myanmar military and groups such as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) escalated after 2011. The 2017 Rohingya crisis, involving widespread persecution and displacement, severely impacted regional stability, leading to a mass exodus into Bangladesh and India.
Geopolitical Dynamics and Regional Relations
Tensions between India and Pakistan persisted, notably during the Mumbai attacks (2008), frequent border skirmishes along the Line of Control (LoC), and renewed crises following the Pulwama attack and subsequent Balakot airstrike (2019).
Chinese influence markedly expanded in the region through infrastructure projects, most notably via CPEC in Pakistan, reshaping geopolitical alignments and strategic calculus.
India’s enhanced regional diplomacy saw deeper engagement with ASEAN under its Act East policy, alongside persistent but periodically stalled initiatives within SAARC.
Technological and Cultural Transformation
Rapid technological proliferation reshaped Northern South Asia, with widespread adoption of mobile technology, digital communication, and economic digitization. India emerged prominently as a global IT hub, driving significant economic growth and digital innovation.
Socially, movements advocating women's rights and gender equality intensified, particularly in urban India and Bangladesh, in response to high-profile gender violence incidents and broader societal debates. The region also saw rapid urbanization, influencing youth culture and societal expectations.
Legacy of the Era
From 2008 to 2019, Upper South Asia witnessed significant shifts, marked by India's assertive economic expansion and nationalist realignment, Pakistan’s complex democratic trajectory, Afghanistan's ongoing conflict and negotiation efforts, Bangladesh’s economic rise and governance challenges, Nepal’s recovery from crisis, Bhutan’s steady democratic evolution, and Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis spilling over borders. These years profoundly reshaped the political landscape, influencing national identities, international relations, and socioeconomic structures, setting crucial precedents for future developments.