Earthquake Awareness

April 25 is etched in the national psyche of Nepal. The day marks the anniversary of the catastrophic 2015 earthquake that killed nearly 10,000 people and left just shy of a million buildings, many of which included historical and cultural landmarks recognised as UNESCO world heritage sites, damaged or destroyed. A country with a long history of earthquakes because it sits above the tectonic fault lines, Nepal is well acquainted with the natural disaster and the resulting losses of lives and properties. The 7.6-magnitude quake that violently jolted the nation in 1934 is said to have resulted in the loss of 16,875 lives and 318,000 houses. Since then, we have been hit by a staggering number of major quakes.