The
2001 Gujarat earthquake occurred on
January 26 2001, at 08:46 AM, and coincided with the 51st celebration of
India's Republic Day. The location of the
epicentre was
Bhuj (23.6° N 69.8° E)
Gujarat,
India. With a
moment magnitude (Mw) of between 7.6 and 8.1, the quake killed more than 20,000 people and injured another 167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes throughout Gujarat and parts of eastern
Pakistan.
The earthquake is considered an
intraplate earthquake because it occurred at a distance from any plate boundary, where the theory of
plate tectonics says most earthquakes of this size happen. Because of this, this area was not well prepared for an earthquake of such size. The event was the result of stored energy in a collision margin, which describes when two continental plates collide and begin to rub, creating pressure, until the energy is released in an quake. It registered as 7.9 on the richter scale.
The Effects
Because of it size and location, the quake was very destructive in terms of lives lost and damage to property. As many as 26,000 people were reported dead, and 166,000 injured. All the deaths occurred in India's western state of Gujarat, near the Pakistan border. The final death toll of
Kutch was 12,220.
Bhuj, situated only 20 kilometres (14 miles) from the epicentre, was the most devastated town. Overall, over a million structures were damaged or destroyed, including many historic buildings and tourist attractions.
The quake destroyed around 90% of the homes in Bhuj, eight schools, and flattened two hospitals. It partly destroyed the historic
Swaminarayan temple in the city. Considerable damage also occurred in
Bhachau. It also destroyed 4 km of road in Bhuj. In
Ahmedabad, Gujarat's commercial capital and a city of 4.6 million population, as many as 50 multi storied buildings collapsed and several hundred people were killed. Total property damage was estimated at $5.5 billion and rising.
The quake destroyed 75% of Kutch District, and over 80% of usable food and water supplies. This left Bhuj devastated
The district collector
Anil Mukim oversaw the early delivery of aid and equipment to affected villages but then called for further aid deliveries to cease as they encouraged a "relief mentality" which would delay a return to normal life.
See also
