Damage Due to Gorkha Nepal Earthquake of 2015 and Its Intensity

Information about damage caused by the large earthquake of April 25 (Mw 7.8) and its major aftershock of May 12 (Mw 7.3), 2015 that struck Nepal is compiled. The earthquakes caused about 8964 human deaths (8,857 in Nepal, 79 in India, 27 in Tibet, China, and 4 in Bangladesh). It has caused 22,300 injuries and full or partial damage to 756,000 buildings in Nepal. In India, deaths were mostly in Bihar and some in Uttar Pradesh. Damage was reported from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Odisha. Lives of 8 million, i.e., one-third population of Nepal in 31 of 75 districts got affected. Eight districts were severely affected and six more were also badly affected. Both the mainshock and the major aftershock caused landslidesLandslide near their epicenters. The economic loss was $ 10 billion (~ half of Nepal's GDP) and reconstruction cost nearly double of that. Intensity data at over 200 locations were collected in Nepal, India, and Tibet, and an isoseismal map was plotted. The 25th April earthquake caused the collapse of RC structures in a 75 × 15 km area trending WNW-ESE around Kathmandu where MM Intensity IX is assigned. Intensity VIII is over the rest of the rupture zone. Intensity VII extends to parts of Bihar, India. Areas in northwestern Bihar and adjoining UP have some collapsed houses where intensity VI is assigned. Earthquake has been strongly felt up to Delhi and Kolkata with intensity IV while intensity III extends to 1500 km distance up to Ahmedabad, etc. in the west and Odisha as well as Andhra in the east where it was mildly felt. Felt distance is 1800 km in India as people in Chennai felt the earthquake on the upper floors. In China, the felt distance was 1900 km. The 12th May major aftershock caused the collapse of several hundred houses and buildings including some RC structures in Sindhupalchowk-Kodari-Dolakha. The death toll due to the May earthquake was about 1000 in Nepal.