On 25 April 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Gorkha district of Nepal, roughly northwest of the capital Kathmandu. It was the country's worst natural disaster in decades, occurring where the Indian Plate collides with and pushes beneath the Eurasian Plate — the same tectonic process that built the Himalayas. A powerful magnitude 7.3 aftershock followed in May, compounding the damage.
Around 8,900 people were killed and many more injured, with entire villages in the mountainous districts reduced to rubble. The quake also triggered avalanches, including a deadly one on Mount Everest that struck base camp. Landslides cut off remote communities and hampered rescue efforts in the difficult terrain.
In Kathmandu the earthquake destroyed or badly damaged numerous historic temples and monuments, including centuries-old UNESCO World Heritage structures in the city's Durbar Squares. The loss struck at the heart of Nepal's cultural identity and its vital tourism economy. Recovery and the painstaking restoration of the damaged heritage sites stretched on for years afterward.
