EARTHQUAKE IN IRAN 2003

• On Friday 26th December 2003 a magnitude 6.6 earthquake was recorded near the city of Bam, in south east Iran

• The earthquake occurred at 5.26 am local time

• Thousands died instantly as they were crushed in their sleep

IMPACTS OF THE EARTHQUAKE

Rescuer searches through the rubble

Disease spreads rapidly as bodies lie unrecovered

LOCATION OF QUAKE

• The epicentre was close to the historic city of Bam in southern Iran

• The earthquake’s focus was located at 10km below the surface

Location of earthquake

Why did the earthquake occur?

• Iran is situated on a destructive plate boundary between the Arabian plate and the Eurasian plate.

• The Arabian plate is moving northwards into the Eurasian plate at a rate of 3cms per year.

• Stresses build up in the crust which are eventually released in the form of seismic energy

• The seismic energy, in the form of primary and secondary earthquake waves ,cause the surface of the earth to deform.

• The ground movement causes buildings to collapse and communications to be damaged.

Distribution of world plates

Arabian

Diagram of a collision boundary between two continental plates

Arabian plateEurasian plate

South East Iran is an active seismic area. The main fault lines run from NW to SE.

There have been four large quakes in this region in recent years:1981 1071 deaths1981 871 deaths1989 4 deaths1998 5 deaths

The map shows the epicentres of the earthquake sequence of December 2003

Map of earthquake intensity

Intensity decreases with distance from the epicentre

Note the orientation of intensity follows the pattern of fault lines, from NW to SE

Short Term Impacts

• 30,000 deaths after the first 24 hours

• Final death toll nearer 50,000

• A further 30,000 injured

• 500,000 homeless• 85% buildings

damaged or destroyed

• Bam’s historic fortress flattened

• Two of the city’s hospitals totally destroyed

• All communications with the outside world severed

a Fissures near Baravat, a settlement close to Bamb Fissures ruptured the road from Bam to Baravatc Fissures in the foot of the fault scarp of the Bam fault

Surface Fissures caused by ground movement disrupted communications and rescue attempts

Short term Responses

• To rescue survivors from the rubble

• Transferring injured to hospital

• Setting up tents for the homeless

• Appeals for tinned food, warm clothing and blankets from within Iran

• Appeals for International aid

• UK, Germany, USA and Russia sent rescue workers and equipment

• Over $670 million pledged from several countries

Longer Term effects

• Shortage of homes for survivors

• Disease and health• Contaminated water

supplies• Costs of rebuilding• Economic costs• Political impacts• International relations

Survivors waiting for a tented home

Why was the death toll so high?

• Most buildings in Bam were not built to withstand tremors : poor foundations, weak building materials, lack of building regulations

• Weather Conditions : freezing temperatures reduced chances of survival and results in further deaths from exposure

• Although Iran suffers from earthquakes relatively frequently and therefore is fairly well organised for coping with impacts, overall earthquake education is poor. Most Iranian’s believe that ..

“ What God wills will happen”• Problems with the distribution of aid : aid was available but people

from other cities took advantage of the supplies; armed bandits looted aid supplies

…..continued

• Many Iranians blame the huge death toll on poor government planning and failure to learn from previous disasters

• Delays in aid supplies reaching Bam, even by as little as 24 hours, increasing the death toll

• Remoteness of Bam and communications damage hindered relief organisations

• Aftershocks occurred for several days, hindering rescue attempts

• Timing of quake : The high death toll is attributed to the fact that most residents were asleep in their houses and not out in the open..

Conclusions

• The Bam earthquake is the world’s most deadly since the Tangshan quake in China in 1976 (200,000 fatalities)

• Despite a history of seismic activity, authorities had failed to ensure earthquake proof structures had been built in Bam city

• President Khatami pledged to rebuild the citadel within two years - some question that the people should come before the reconstruction of the citadel

• International aid reduced the impacts of the disaster

• Political perception of the earthquake risk is critical when planning the national budget e.g. spending on aseismic technology versus defence spending

• Cultural issues also influence hazard management - earthquakes are seen as God’s will and accepted as fate rather than events that can be managed

…..continued

• The UN has told international donors that the long-term rebuilding of Bam could cost up to $1 billion

• Most resources will have to come from Iran itself, although international aid will also be crucial in implementing and organising the physical, economic, social and cultural reconstruction of the city

• More than 40 countries sent aid to Iran soon aftr the quake

• International relationships : whilst Iran was prepared to accept humanitarian aid from the USA, political relationships between the two countries are likely to remain unchanged.

• Other countries will need to learn from the experiences of Iran and invet in ways of reducing the vulnerability of populations living in areas at risk from earthquake activity