Nepal Quake

Kathmandu, Nepal · Photographs by Taylor Weidman

On April 25, 2015, Nepal suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, killing over 8,000 people and injuring thousands more. In the Kathmandu Valley, entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble, and centuries-old temples in the UNESCO-listed Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur collapsed. In the days that followed, rescue teams searched the wreckage for survivors, hospitals overflowed, and tens of thousands of displaced residents moved into tent camps in parks and open fields. As aid arrived through the country's single international runway, families returned to the ruins of their homes to salvage what they could, and the work of rebuilding began.

A view of a Bhaktapur neighborhood destroyed by the earthquake.

Kathmandu residents perform cremation rituals for loved ones killed in a devastating earthquake at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 29,… — Kathmandu residents perform cremation rituals for loved ones killed in a devastating earthquake at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 29, 2015.

A Nepali man cooks food for dozens of displaced residents in Bhaktapur, Nepal on May 5, 2015.

A Japanese aid worker walks past a military plane sent from India arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 29, 2015.

Nepali rescue workers discuss safety concerns as they prepare to remove a body from the wreckage of a building in Kathmandu, Nepal on May 1, 2015.

A Japanese K-9 unit searches for the body of a baby in the rubble of a collapsed home in Bhaktapur, Nepal on April 30, 2015.

Nepali rescue workers put gloves on after they find a body in the rubble of a collapsed building in Kathmandu, Nepal on May 1, 2015.

A tired Nepali soldier takes a break from rescue efforts in Kathmandu, Nepal on May 1, 2015.

A young woman with a head injury is spoon fed at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal on May 1, 2015.

A young girl lays on her bed in a hospital's trauma ward after breaking her leg during the earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal.

A patient has traction applied to his spinal column at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal on May 1, 2015. On April 25, 2015, Nepal suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killing over 5,000 people and injuring thousands more.

A body is cremated at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 29, 2015.

Dani Tamung, 75, cries as she describes the loss of her home and possessions due to the earthquake in Bansbari, Nepal on May 3, 2015. On April 25, 2015, Nepal suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killing over 6,000 people and injuring thousands more.

Kathmandu residents displaced by the earthquake spend time in temporary shelters in a park in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 30, 2015. On April 25, 2015, Nepal suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killing over 5,000 people and injuring thousands more.

A Nepali girl displaced by the earthquake spends time in her temporary shelter on a field in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Nepali residents clear rubble and collect items from their destroyed homes in Bhaktapur, Nepal on May 5, 2015.

Nepali women comb through the rubble of their devastated home looking for valuables in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Nepali soldiers and civilians try to pull down a dangerous section of severely damaged wall that is in danger of collapsing in Bhaktapur, Nepal on April 30,… — Nepali soldiers and civilians try to pull down a dangerous section of severely damaged wall that is in danger of collapsing in Bhaktapur, Nepal on April 30, 2015. On April 25, 2015, Nepal suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killing over 5,000 people and injuring thousands more.

Nepali men take a break from combing through the rubble of their devastated homes looking for valuables in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Locals and tourists walk through the ruins of Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal on May 2, 2015. On April 25, 2015, Nepal suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killing over 7,000 people and injuring thousands more.

Carvings and other artwork from destroyed temples are stored in a secure location in Patan, Nepal on May 4, 2015. On April 25, 2015, Nepal suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killing over 7,000 people and injuring thousands more.

Nepali residents take part in a candle lighting ceremony for those lost in the earthquake on a street in Kathmandu, Nepal on May 4, 2015. On April 25, 2015, Nepal suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killing over 7,000 people and injuring thousands more.