Nepal 2015: When Poverty Makes Everything Worse
Nepal's 7.7 magnitude earthquake on 28th April 2015 was actually weaker than Chile's, but the devastation was proportionally much worse. This destructive plate boundary formed where the continental Indian plate crashes into the Eurasian plate, creating the Himalayas and frequent seismic activity.
Being a low-income country, Nepal simply couldn't cope effectively. Poor building standards meant half the schools collapsed, 26 hospitals were destroyed, and 8,300 people died - that's over 16 times more deaths than Chile despite a weaker earthquake. The economic damage of $10 billion was devastating for such a poor country.
The immediate responses relied heavily on international help - search and rescue teams flew in from India and the UK, whilst helicopters rescued avalanche victims on Mount Everest. The earthquake triggered 325 aftershocks and caused an avalanche that killed 19 climbers, showing how secondary effects can multiply the disaster.
Recovery has been much slower and harder than Chile's experience. Nepal managed to repair 7,000 schools and introduced stricter building controls, but limited resources mean the country remains vulnerable to future seismic events.
Key Point: Nepal's struggle highlights how a country's wealth and preparation levels often matter more than the actual earthquake strength when it comes to casualties and recovery.