Nepal’s historic landmark, the Dharahara tower in Kathmandu, has reportedly collapsed in the earthquake which struck Lamjung in Nepal this morning.
Also called the Bhimsen tower, after the 19th century king Bimsen Thapa who had it built, this is the second time the structure has been damaged by an earthquake.
Bhimsen Thapa had the tower built in 1825-26 in Kathmandu for his queen Lalit. The structure resembles a minaret and is white in colour. The tower was rebuilt in 1934, two stories shorter than the original 11.
Twitter users have posted images of the iconic now collapsed tower. An image posted on twitter by Abhash MUFC @abhashmufc says it all:
Shocking News from Nepal 9-storey Dharahara also known as Bhimsen Tower completely destroyed; 400 feared trapped . pic.twitter.com/JfCtFND3u8
— Dibang (@dibang) April 25, 2015 The historic #dharahara tower now reduced to a rubble #NepalQuake @ibnlive @Karma_Paljor @ibnlive pic.twitter.com/fl4YDn8EXS
— megha mamgain (@meghamamgain) April 25, 2015