M5.3 Earthquake 36 km E of Pokhara, Nepal — May 18, 2021
2021-05-18 23:57:58 UTC (2021-05-18) · approx. 5:57 AM UTC+6 local
Felt by 45 people across nearby locations.
On May 18, 2021 at 23:57 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 36 km E of Pokhara, Nepal, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 28.2785°, 84.3373°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 45 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
84.3373°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Pokhara, Nepal?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 36 km E of Pokhara, Nepal on May 18, 2021 at 23:57 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 28.2785°, 84.3373°, which is 36 km E of Pokhara, Nepal.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000e4aq). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, May 18, 2021). M5.3 Earthquake 36 km E of Pokhara, Nepal — May 18, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000e4aq/