2008 Kyrgyzstan earthquake

2008 Kyrgyzstan earthquake

Date October 5, 2008 (2008-10-05)
Magnitude 6.6 Mw
Depth 27.6 kilometres (17 mi)
Countries or regions  Kyrgyzstan,  Tajikistan,  China
Casualties 75 dead, 150 injured

The 2008 Kyrgyzstan earthquake was a magnitude 6.6 earthquake, which struck on October 6, 2008 at 21:52 local time (15:52 UTC) 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 100 buildings in the area and destroyed 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]

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 3 tons of coal, and families of the dead received 50 kg of flour.[11] 200 people wish to remain in Nura, and were provided with 100 6-person tents.[12] 100 mobile homes are being transported to Nura, and the village will be rebuilt in the spring of 2009, and should be completed by 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]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Namatbayeva, Tolkun (2008-10-08). "Choppers pick up quake injured". Canberra Times. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/choppers-pick-up-quake-injured/1328079.aspx. Retrieved 2008-10-09. 
  2. ^ a b c "Kyrgyzstan mourns after quake kills at least 74". Associated Press. 2008-10-07. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20081011003409/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gpjxAG8LCJBug7O-__0DZol8F-BgD93LMTP01. Retrieved 2008-10-09. 
  3. ^ "150 injured, 74 dead in Nura village, emergencies ministry says". 24 Kyrgyzstan. 2008-10-08. http://eng.24.kg/community/2008/10/08/6254.html. Retrieved 2008-10-08. 
  4. ^ "Deadly earthquake hits Kyrgyzstan". BBC News. October 6, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7653979.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-10. 
  5. ^ a b Saralayeva, Leila (2008-10-06). "Earthquake kills at least 72 in Kyrgyzstan". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 09, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20081009220734/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gpjxAG8LCJBug7O-__0DZol8F-BgD93L1V401. Retrieved 2008-10-06. 
  6. ^ "Magnitude 5.7 - SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA". USGS. October 5, 2008. Archived from the original on October 06, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20081006135241/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008xua1.php#details. Retrieved 2008-10-10. 
  7. ^ "Magnitude 5.1 - KYRGYZSTAN". USGS. October 13, 2008. Archived from the original on June 07, 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110607230826/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008ycaw.php. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 
  8. ^ "Magnitude 5.3 - KYRGYZSTAN". USGS. October 13, 2008. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20081017174903/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008yca9.php. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 
  9. ^ "Magnitude 5.1 - SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA". USGS. October 13, 2008. Archived from the original on June 07, 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110607231000/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008ycax.php. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 
  10. ^ Stern, David L. (2008-10-06). "Quake Kills at Least 72 in Kyrgyzstan". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/world/asia/07quake.html. Retrieved 2008-10-09. 
  11. ^ Kutueva, Aizada (2008-10-09). "Kyrgyz government allocates 36mln KGS for earthquake victims support". 24 Kyrgyzstan. http://eng.24.kg/community/2008/10/09/6272.html. Retrieved 2008-10-09. 
  12. ^ a b Cheban, Olga (2008-10-08). "New houses for earthquake victims to be built in spring 2009". 24 Kyrgyzstan. http://eng.24.kg/community/2008/10/08/6259.html. Retrieved 2008-10-09. 
  13. ^ "Uzbekistan to provide humanitarian aid worth US$200,000 to Kyrgyz Republic". Turkish Weekly. 2008-10-09. http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=60052. Retrieved 2008-10-09.