Gorkha Earthquake Nepal Flashcards
Page 14-15
When was the earthquake?
28th April 2015
What was the magnitude?
7.8
Where was the epicentre?
Burpak, 80 kilometres northwest (NW) of the capital, Kathmandu.
How many people died?
8,841 dead
How many injured?
Over 16,800 injured
How many homeless?
1 million made homeless
What historic buildings where destroyed?
Dharahara Tower
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Why were so many buildings destroyed in the quake?
There were no building regulations in Gorkha so many buildings were unstable and collapsed.
How many hospitals were destroyed?
26 hospitals destroyed
What percentage of schools where destroyed?
50 (half) of all schools.
What were some Primary Effects?
- Deaths, Injuries, Homelessness
- Building destruction
- Reduced supplies (water, electricity, food)
- Aftershocks, and secondary earthquake
How many aftershocks were created due to the quake?
352 aftershocks
There was a second earthquake after the first:
- What was the size of this quake?
- What was the date of this quake?
- How long after the first quake was this one?
- 7.3 magnitude
- 12th May 2015
- 17 days later
The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, it swept through the Base Camp that is used for international climbing expeditions.
- How many died as a result of the avalanche?
- 19 died, including several tourists and others local Sherpas.
In 2014, what was the reported percentage of Nepal’s GDP that was made up from tourism?
8.9%
How many jobs are provided in the tourism area in Nepal?
over 1 million jobs
The earthquake happened just before the monsoon season, why is this significant?
This is when rice is newly planted, seeds were ruined (with rubble) and this lead to extreme food shortages and income loss for many. Rice is Nepal’s staple diet, and two-thirds of the population depend on farming.
This also increased the risk of waterborne diseases.
What were some Secondary Effects of the quake?
- Avalanches on Everest
- Tourism decreased
- Rice crop disturbances
Nepal requested international help:
The UK’s DEC raised money to provide emergency aid, how much did they raise? (Immediate Response)
US $126 million
Temporary shelters where set up by the Red Cross, how many people were tents provided for?
225, 000
How many were cut off due to the mountainous terrains.
315, 000 by road
75, 000 were unreachable by air
What did local Sherpas do to help distribute relief?
They were used to hike relief supplies to remote areas that were unreachable, even by air.
In the long term, what did the government of Nepal do to help development?
They carried out a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, which reported 23 areas that required rebuilding, such as housing, schooling and roads.
Eight months after the earthquake, the OCHA reported that how much aid had been committed?
US $274 Million
