EARTHQUAKE IN

GUJARAT(2001)

Date 26 January 2001Origin time 03:16 UTCMagnitude 7.7 Mw

Depth 16 kilometres (10 mi)Epicenter 23.419°N 70.232°EType Oblique-slipAreas affected India, PakistanMax. intensity X (Extreme)Casualties 13,805–20,023 dead

~ 166,800 injured

O The 2001 Gujarat earthquake also

known as Bhuj earthquake occurred on 26 January, India's 52nd Republic Day, at 08:46 AM IST and

lasted for over 2 minutes. The epicentre was about 9 km south-

southwest of the village of Chobari in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat, India.

O  The intraplate earthquake reached 7.7 on the

moment magnitude scale and had a maximum felt intensity of

X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The earthquake killed between 13,805 and 20,023 people

(including 18 in south-eastern (Pakistan), injured another

167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes.

TECTONIC SETTINGOGujarat lies 3–400 km from the

plate boundary between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate, but the current tectonics is still governed by the effects of the continuing continental collision along this boundary. During the break-up of Gondwana in the Jurassic, this area was affected by rifting with a roughly west-east trend.

ODuring the collision with Eurasia the area has undergone shortening, involving both reactivation of the original rift faults and development of new low-angle thrust faults. The related folding has formed a series of ranges, particularly in central Kutch. The focal mechanism of most earthquakes is consistent with reverse faulting on reactivated rift faults.

OThe pattern of uplift and subsidence associated with the 1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake is consistent with reactivation of such a fault. The 2001 Gujarat earthquake was caused by movement on a previously unknown south-dipping fault, trending parallel to the inferred rift structures.

EFFECTSOThe death toll in the Kutch region

was 12,300. Bhuj, which was situated only 20 km away from the epicenter, was devastated. Considerable damage also occurred in Bhachau and Anjar with hundreds of villages flattened in Taluka of Anjar, Bhuj & Bhachau.  

Residential Buildings

Market Place

A Local Domestic Property

OOver a million structures were damaged or destroyed, including many historic buildings and tourist attractions.

OThe quake destroyed around 40% of homes, eight schools, two hospitals and 4 km of road in Bhuj and partly destroyed the city's historic Swaminarayan temple and historic fort as well Prag Mahal and Aina Mahal.

Prag Mahal

Aina Mahal

O In Ahmedabad, Gujarat's commercial capital with a population of 5.6 million, 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. In Kutch, the earthquake destroyed about 60% of food and water supplies and around 258,000 houses – 90% of the district's housing stock.

Damaged Building In Ahmedabad

OThe biggest setback was the total demolition of the Bhuj Civil hospital. The Indian military provided emergency support which was later augmented by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. A temporary Red Cross hospital remained in Bhuj to provide care while a replacement hospital was built.

Relief Team

MEMORIALOSmritivan, a memorial park and

museum dedicated to victims of the earthquake was built atop Bhujia Hill. Total 13,805 trees dedicated to each victim were planted in the garden and 108 small water reservoirs were created on the hill.

SMRITIVAN

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