2015 Gorkha earthquakeवि.सं. २०७२ गोरखा भूकम्प
Nepal's defining modern disaster. The Mw 7.8 mainshock of 25 April 2015 and its Mw 7.3 aftershock on 12 May killed almost 9,000 people, destroyed over 600,000 homes, levelled centuries-old monuments and triggered deadly avalanches in Langtang and on Everest.
See how this event fits into Nepal's wider history, and explore the districts across the affected region.
Magnitude
Mw 7.8
see note below
Deaths
8,857
8,790–8,964 in Nepal (MoHA/Nepal Police; counts vary by cut-off date)
Date
25 April 2015
12 Baisakh 2072 BS
Depth
8.2 km
Barpak, Gorkha District (~77 km NW of Kathmandu)
Magnitude note: USGS Mw 7.8; GCMT Mw 7.9. Rupture lasted ≈50 seconds on the Main Himalayan Thrust.
Epicentre in context
The highlighted circle is this event; the others show Nepal's full major-earthquake record.
Impact
Official tolls for Nepal range from 8,790 (Nepal Police, widely used in academic work) to 8,964 including aftershock deaths (MoHA/DRR portal); ≈22,000 people were injured and ~3.5 million rendered homeless.
≈500,000 houses were completely destroyed and ≈250,000 partially damaged; the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment counted 609,938 houses needing full reconstruction.
The PDNA put damage and losses at ≈USD 7 billion — roughly a third of GDP — with recovery needs of USD 6.7 billion.
A quake-triggered avalanche buried Langtang village: 243 confirmed dead and ~329 missing in the Langtang valley. On Everest, an avalanche through Base Camp killed at least 19 — then the deadliest single day on the mountain.
Over 30 monuments in the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage zones collapsed (including Kasthamandap and the Dharahara tower, where ≈180 died) and 120 more were damaged.
The Mw 7.3 Dolakha aftershock of 12 May 2015 killed at least 153 more people in Nepal.
Response, reconstruction & legacy
The National Reconstruction Authority (est. December 2015) enrolled 818,520 beneficiary households; by late 2021 over 93% had completed rebuilding, and the NRA closed its mandate in December 2021.
The seismic building code was overhauled as NBC 105:2020, raising design ground-acceleration values by up to ~80% in Kathmandu for ductile structures.
Kasthamandap was rebuilt by December 2021 and reopened on 4 April 2022; the new Dharahara tower opened to the public on 19 September 2024.
Where sources disagree
- Death toll: 8,790 / 8,857 / 8,964 all appear in credible sources — they reflect different data cut-off dates and whether the 12 May aftershock is merged in.
- Economic loss: the official PDNA total is ≈USD 7 billion; some later studies including indirect losses cite ≈USD 10 billion.
Amarnepal states ranges rather than inventing a single figure when credible sources differ.
Frequently asked questions
How strong was the 2015 Gorkha earthquake?+
The 2015 Gorkha earthquake had a magnitude of Mw 7.8. It ruptured at a depth of about 8.2 km. USGS Mw 7.8; GCMT Mw 7.9. Rupture lasted ≈50 seconds on the Main Himalayan Thrust.
When did the 2015 Gorkha earthquake happen?+
It struck on 25 April 2015, 11:56 NST (12 Baisakh 2072 BS in the Bikram Sambat calendar).
How many people died in the 2015 Gorkha earthquake?+
Deaths: 8,790–8,964 in Nepal (MoHA/Nepal Police; counts vary by cut-off date). Injuries: ≈22,000 injured; ~3.5 million left homeless.
Where was the epicentre of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake?+
The epicentre was at Barpak, Gorkha District (~77 km NW of Kathmandu), at coordinates 28.23°N, 84.731°E.
Sources & data note
Figures for the 2015 Gorkha earthquake as documented by the listed sources. Historical epicentres are approximate.