The magnitude 7.8 Gorkha earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, caused extensive damage in Kathmandu Valley and severely affected Nepal's rural areas. The Langtang Valley in the Rasuwa district was particularly hard hit, as became apparent from pictures taken by a rescue helicopter mission on April 26. Numerous tourists and Nepali were, or are, still trapped in the valley as access is completely blocked by avalanches and landslides. The valley’s main village, Langtang , was completely destroyed by the earthquake and the large, wet, debris- and ice-rich avalanche and likely pressure wave from dust avalanche that it triggered, resulting in an unknown number of casualties.  Other avalanches also struck elsewhere in the valley.

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