2008 Kyrgyzstan earthquake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2008 Kyrgyzstan earthquake struck on October 5 at 21:52 local time (15:52 UTC) with a moment magnitude of 6.6, killing 75 people, including 41 children,[1] and injuring 150 people, including 93 children.[2][3] The center of the earthquake was near the town of Nura, which was destroyed in the quake.[4] The shock destroyed dozens of buildings in the area and destroyed the nearby village of Kura.[5] Minor damage also occurred in nearby Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The quake was felt throughout Central Asia.[5] A magnitude 5.7 aftershock in Xinjiang[6] and a magnitude 5.1 aftershock in Kyrgyzstan[2] followed the earthquake. Two more aftershocks above magnitude 5 in Kyrgyzstan[7][8] and one in Xinjiang[9] struck on October 13, UTC time. Victims were transported in military helicopters to hospitals in Osh.[10]
| |
| UTC time | 2008-10-05 15:52:49 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 13396075 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | October 5, 2008 |
| Local time | 21:52:49 KGT |
| Magnitude | 6.6 Mw |
| Depth | 27.6 kilometres (17 mi) |
| Epicenter | 39°50′54″N 73°46′4.8″E |
| Areas affected | Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China |
| Max. intensity | MMI VII (Very strong) |
| Casualties | 75 dead, 150 injured |
The Kyrgyzstan Emergency Ministry said that few buildings remained standing in the village: "Almost all buildings in the village have been destroyed. The only buildings remaining are the properly engineered ones which were built recently: the school and a medical clinic."[1] Kanatbek Abdrakhmatov, head of the Institute of Seismology, attributed much of the destruction due to inferior construction of the buildings, many of which were built out of clay and straw.[1]
The injured were paid 5,000 Kyrgyzstani soms (US$ 136) and three tons of coal, and families of the dead received 50 kg of flour.[11] Two hundred people who chose to remain in Nura were provided with 100 six-person tents.[12] One hundred mobile homes were transported to Nura, and the village was to be rebuilt in the spring of 2009 with a completion date set for August 2009.[12] Uzbekistan pledged the equivalent of US$200,000 in humanitarian aid, including 120 tons of cement, as well as other building materials.[13]
In Kyrgyzstan, an official day of mourning was observed on October 7, 2008.[2]