The country hit by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in April 2015, which killed more than 8,000 people, was Nepal. Often called the Gorkha earthquake, the main shock struck on 25 April 2015 near Barpak in Gorkha District, about 85 kilometres northwest of Kathmandu. It occurred along the Main Himalayan Thrust, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge.
The shallow earthquake lasted roughly 50 seconds and caused severe destruction across central Nepal. It killed nearly 9,000 people, injured more than 21,000, and left millions homeless. Historic buildings in Kathmandu Valley were damaged or destroyed, including structures at Kathmandu Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, and Dharahara Tower.
The disaster also triggered avalanches on Mount Everest and in the Langtang Valley. A powerful magnitude 7.3 aftershock struck on 12 May, adding to the damage and casualties. India, China, and Bangladesh also felt the earthquake, but Nepal suffered the greatest losses. Pakistan, China, and India are plausible regional distractors, yet Nepal is the single canonical answer.