M5.5 Earthquake near Kodāri̇̄, Nepal — 27 February 2025
A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.5 was recorded near Kodāri̇̄, Nepal on , with an epicentre 14 km south of Kodāri̇̄, at a focal depth of 10.0 km. It was the strongest of the 5 earthquakes recorded in Nepal in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-02-27 21:06:10
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 5.5 (moderate)
Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 27.8265, 85.9676
Location: 14 km S of Kodāri̇̄, Nepal
Country: Nepal
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake radiates roughly 2,682 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 628, which meets the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
What the magnitude scale actually measures →
When it happened locally
That is about 02:50 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.
This event was shallower than 95% of the 37 earthquakes recorded in Nepal in our catalogue and stronger than 97% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 27.8265, 85.9676 — 14 km south of Kodāri̇̄. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.2 earthquake 66 km northwest of here on 26 August 2026.
The nearest other settlements in our records are 拉萨 (128 km east-northeast), Lobuche (130 km east-northeast), Saga (158 km north-northeast) and Pokhara (190 km west-northwest).
Why the 10 km depth matters
At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M5.5 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
68 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.0 event near 拉萨 on 07 January 2025. This M5.5 event released about 178 times less energy than that event.
No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the February 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Nepal during February 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M5.2 earthquake near Kodāri̇̄, Nepal — (66 km NW)
- M4.4 earthquake near Lobuche, Nepal — (122 km NNE)
- M4.2 earthquake near 拉萨, China — (128 km ENE)
- M4.2 earthquake near Lobuche, Nepal — (130 km ENE)
- M4.6 earthquake near 拉萨, China — (131 km ENE)
- M4.3 earthquake near 拉萨, China — (135 km ENE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Lobuche, Nepal — (137 km ENE)
- M4.3 earthquake near 拉萨, China — (144 km NE)
- M4.1 earthquake near Lobuche, Nepal — (146 km NNE)
- M4.1 earthquake near 拉萨, China — (146 km ENE)
Other recent earthquakes in Nepal
- M4.9 earthquake near Chitre, Nepal —
- M5.2 earthquake near Kodāri̇̄, Nepal —
- M4.5 earthquake near Tulsīpur, Nepal —
- M4.4 earthquake near Ilām, Nepal —
- M4.4 earthquake near Lobuche, Nepal —
- M4.7 earthquake near Lobuche, Nepal —
- M4.6 earthquake near Dipayal, Nepal —
- M5.0 earthquake near Lobuche, Nepal —
- M4.2 earthquake near Lobuche, Nepal —
- M4.4 earthquake near Lobuche, Nepal —
Other magnitude 5 earthquakes worldwide
- M5.3 earthquake near off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico —
- M5.6 earthquake near Tobelo, Indonesia —
- M5.5 earthquake near Pelabuhanratu, Indonesia —
- M5.4 earthquake near northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge —
- M5.3 earthquake near Adak, United States —
- M5.7 earthquake near Adak, United States —
- M5.3 earthquake near Lospalos, Timor-Leste —
- M5.4 earthquake near southern East Pacific Rise —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near Kodāri̇̄?
It measured magnitude 5.5 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake radiates roughly 2,682 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Kodāri̇̄?
The focus was 10 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.
Was the Kodāri̇̄ earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 5.5 and a focal depth of 10 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.
When did the earthquake near Kodāri̇̄ happen?
27 February 2025 at 21:06 UTC.
Was there a tsunami?
No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Kodāri̇̄?
68 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.0 event near 拉萨 on 07 January 2025. This M5.5 event released about 178 times less energy than that event.