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| Date | March 28, 1970 23:05 EET (21:05 UTC)[1] |
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| Magnitude | 7.2 Mw[1] |
| Countries or regions | Turkey |
| Casualties | 1,086 dead, 1,260 injured[1] |
The 1970 Gediz earthquake, aka 1970 Kütahya-Gediz earthquake, was an approximately 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck western Turkey on March 28, 1970 at about 23:05 local time.[1]
The event killed 1,086 people and left 1,260 people wounded and many thousands homeless in Gediz.[1] a district of Kütahya Province situated 98 km (61 mi) southeast of Kütahya.[2] Many people were burnt alive as fires broke out from overturned stoves. 9,452 buildings in the region were severely damaged or destroyed.[1]
The town of Gediz, home to repeated natural disasters like earthquakes and floods, was relocated following a government resolution soon after the destruction to a new place 7 km (4.3 mi) away on the road to Uşak under the name "Yeni Gediz" (literally: New Gediz). The residents moved in their newly built, earthquake-resistant homes. Neighboring towns and villages were also rebuilt at places with relative minimum earthquake risk.[1]
Major earthquakes in the history of Gediz were in 1866 and 1896. On June 25, 1944 at 07:20 local time, an 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in Gediz killing 20 people and damaging around 3,500 buildings.[1]