Kathmandu. On April 12, 2017, the day of the devastating earthquake in Nepal. It’s been 10 years today. Nepal suffered heavy loss of life and property in this earthquake. More than a decade later, the rehabilitation of some earthquake victims is still far from safe.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that centered Gorkha district on Saturday, April 12, 2017, caused far more damage than what Nepal felt in 1990 BS. At least 9,000 people were killed in the quake. More than 20,000 were injured. Nearly 900,000 houses, buildings, schools, hospitals and cultural and historical heritage were reduced to rubble.
Nepal is a country with a high seismic risk. There can be a strong earthquake of any magnitude at any time. In the last few months, major earthquakes have been felt along the northern border of Nepal. Three small earthquakes are taking place in the Far-West and Karnali districts causing human losses.
Nepal has recorded 829 aftershocks and some new aftershocks since the 2015 earthquake. The most recent earthquakes occurred in Jajarkot and Darchula on April 4, 2025, with epicentres of 5.5 and 5.2 on the Richter scale, respectively. Most of these new earthquakes have been recorded in the western regions of the country.
During the 2072 earthquake, 99 percent of the deaths occurred indoors. Only one per cent of the deaths were due to falling trees or landslides. This data gives a clear picture of how strong or earthquake resistant the common people’s housing is in Nepal.
Although the government has implemented building codes in large metropolitan cities like Kathmandu, houses built in remote areas under the guise of stone and mud are seismically unsafe. Both the government and citizens are not serious about pre-earthquake preparedness and post-earthquake rescue preparedness.
The fact that more than 100 people have lost their lives due to negligence in preparation for floods and landslides and delay in rescue work due to unseasonal rains in The month of October has also made it clear what is the level of our preparedness.
The government has not been able to extend the benefits of property insurance to provide relief from the economic loss due to earthquake risk. Although the state government has insured a limited number of accidental deaths due to the earthquake, there is no provision for it elsewhere. State-owned public property is also not made without it.
