Earthquakes

Citation

(2006), "Earthquakes", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 15 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2006.07315dac.004

Earthquakes

10 May 2005South-East Asia

The Indian Ocean. Tsunamis caused extensive damage to coral reefs of the Andaman and Nicobar islands which are now smothered by sediment that will take years to wash off, scientists said yesterday. The archipelago, which spans 800km from Indonesia to Myanmar, sustained deep damage to coral in the hard-hit south-west areas and a major shift in the geography of the islands, according to a survey prepared by Indian government scientists. Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal unveiled the preliminary findings on the coral reefs from a survey by four research vessels as part of an effort to understand the long-term impact of the December 26 tsunamis that killed more than 16,000 people on the islands and south Indian mainland coast. More than 2,000 people died on the islands alone and 5,640 are still listed as missing. “If we take Andamans as a straight line then areas east have moved westward at places by 3m maximum and certain parts have sunk by 90cm and this is permanent,” said Mr Harsh Gupta, the top bureaucrat in the Science and Technology Ministry. A seismologist by profession, he warned that it may take three years before geological stability comes to the archipelago which has been hit by thousands of aftershocks ranging between three and five on the Richter scale since the tsunamis. He also said the tsunamis pushed tonnes of silt onto reefs in the south-west of the island chain that are home to 200 types of coral and thousands of fish species. The sediment blocks light from reaching the fragile coral making it difficult to sustain life or regenerate new coral. He said the survey found fish catches in the worst hit south-west areas of the island chain have dropped sharply to 300 kg per catch from 1,500 kg before the disaster.

13 June 2005Chile

A powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake shook Chile's northern mining region today, causing at least eight deaths, cutting power and driving residents from their homes in the port City of Iquique. The quake was also felt in the coastal cities of Arica and Antofagasta, in Chile, in the Bolivian capital, La Paz, and in Southern Peru. Acting Chilean Interior Minister Jorge Correa said on Chilean television one man was confirmed dead in a landslide triggered by the earthquake. Correa said five others died after their car was crushed by a falling boulder on a mountain road near Iquique and two more died of undisclosed causes. Authorities said that the region suffered power cuts and that telephone communication was down in the area. “Police, fire and other civil protection agencies are in the area evaluating the situation,” Chile's National Emergency Centre, ONEMI, said in a statement. “There is no chance of a tsunami,” it said, citing an analysis by Chilean naval oceanographers who said the epicentre was in the mountains, not in the ocean. Local television reported that Iquique, which has a population of about 140,000, and the popular seaside resort of Arica, were most affected. ONEMI said the epicentre of the quake was 70miles North-East of Iquique but was felt throughout Northern Chile, a zone of heavy mining activity. A source at Chile's state-owned Codelco, the world's top copper producer, said the company's operations in the region had not been affected. “Operations have not been stopped, they remain the same,” the source at Codelco's Santiago headquarters said by telephone late today. The US Geological Survey said on its website that the quake measured 7.9, meaning it was capable of widespread and heavy damage. The quake occurred at 18:44, local time, and lasted nearly a minute.

14 June 2005. A strong earthquake struck Northern Chile, killing at least eight people, toppling 17 houses and sparking alarm on the country's border with Peru, authorities said. The quake cut power in Iquique. The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.9 on the Richter scale. “A major earthquake occurred at 22:44, UTC, yesterday,” the USGS said in a statement. “The magnitude 7.9 event has been located in Tarapaca, Chile,” the service said, “at a depth of 111 km,” the USGS said. Boulders littered city streets and highways in Northern Chile today after a 7.9-magnitude quake caused landslides and wrecked homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring 200. The quake yesterday evening in Chile's top mining district also cut off power and burst water mains in and around the port cities of Arica, Iquique and Antofagasta. Chile's Emergency Bureau ONEMI said most of the quake's victims were killed in landslides. “According to official information we have 11 dead reported,” said ONEMI spokesman Mariano Gonzalez. Television images showed streets littered with giant rocks in Iquique, which has a population of about 140,000, and dozens of collapsed adobe homes in nearby towns. “Look, the church fell down, 15 houses are destroyed and 20 are uninhabitable. We've been out in the town square all night because it quaked all night. We don't have any food, water or power,” Mercedes Cruz, a resident of the town of Huavilla, a town in the mountains near Iquique, told local radio. The earthquake caused operations to be suspended at only one mid-sized copper mine and briefly affected one other, leaving larger mines unscathed. Chilean mines produce a major portion of the world's copper supply. The quake hit at 18:44 (22:44, UTC) yesterday and lasted nearly a minute. An earthquake of 7.9 magnitude is capable of causing widespread damage. Earthquakes of lesser magnitude shook neighbouring Peru, as well as Ecuador further to the north, early today. They caused minor damage but no injuries, officials in the two countries said. Chilean government ministers toured the stricken region and President Ricardo Lagos cut short a European tour to travel to the quake area. Landslides cut off some roads and highways, and emergency crews were clearing the roads. ONEMI said the epicentre of the quake was 70 miles North-East of Iquique. It was felt throughout Northern Chile, in the Bolivian capital, La Paz, and in Southern Peru.

15 June 2005. The massive earthquake that rocked Northern Chile two days ago killed 11 people and destroyed or damaged 9,235 houses in several Andean mountain villages, authorities reported today. As President Ricardo Lagos toured several affected communities today, 835 people were still sheltered at schools and other public buildings, and thousands more remained at their damaged homes to fend off looters. Lagos arrived in Iquique early today after cutting short a European tour in the wake of the magnitude 7.9 quake. He said that in addition to the damage of thousands of homes, the other main problem in the area, 1,200 miles North of Santiago, is the lack of water due to broken pipes. Water supply was being gradually restored, “but the hardest task now is restoring the service in the villages in the interior,” Lagos said. Electric power supply is also irregular at many places. Alberto Maturana, head of the government's Emergency Bureau, said 544 houses were completely destroyed by the quake and 8,691 more were damaged, some of them seriously and will probably have to be demolished. The government has sent massive aid to the area to attend nearly 70,000 people who live in the area, including tents, mattresses, blankets, food and medicines.