1986 San Salvador earthquake

1986 San Salvador earthquake
San Salvador
Date October 10, 1986
Origin time 17:49:26 UTC [1]
Magnitude 5.7 Mw [1]
Depth 10 km (6.2 mi) [1]
Epicenter 13°45′N 89°14′W / 13.75°N 89.24°WCoordinates: 13°45′N 89°14′W / 13.75°N 89.24°W [1]
Type Strike-slip [2]
Areas affected El Salvador
Honduras
Guatemala
Max. intensity IX (Violent) [3]
Casualties 1,000–1,500 fatalities [2]
10,000–20,000 injuries [2]

The 1986 San Salvador earthquake struck at 11:49:26 local time on October 10 with a moment magnitude of 5.7 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of IX (Violent). The shock caused considerable damage to El Salvador's capital city of San Salvador and surrounding areas, including neighboring Honduras and Guatemala.[4]

Between 1,000 and 1,500 people are believed to have been killed, and over 10,000 people were injured. Two hundred thousand people were left homeless after the earthquake and a week of minor aftershocks.[4][5]

Although of only moderate magnitude, the shock occurred at a shallow depth directly under San Salvador, which led to the destruction of many structures. The children's hospital, a multilevel/underground marketplace (which was filled with people at the time) and many apartment buildings and restaurants (including one next to the American Embassy) were badly damaged or destroyed.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 ISC (19 January 2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900-2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 USGS (September 4, 2009), PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey
  3. ↑ Bertero, V. V. (February 4, 1988). "Evolving Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Practices : Implications from Recent Chile, Mexico, and El Salvador Earthquakes, 1988 Annual Meeting (EERI)". The San Salvador earthquake of October 19, 1986. Mesa, Arizona: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. p. 5.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Significant earthquakes in 1986".
  5. ↑ Harlow, D. H.; White, R. A.; Rymer, M. J.; Alvarez G., S. (1993). "The San Salvador earthquake of 10 October 1986 and its historical context". Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (Seismological Society of America) 83 (4): 1143–1154.