Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
2001 Gujarat Earthquake
The 2001 Gujarat earthquake took place on January 26, 2001 at 8:46 in the morning in Bhuj in India. This 6.9 magnitude quake, was the most devastating earthquake in India in the recent history.
The earthquake is considered an intraplate earthquake because it occurred a great distance from any plate boundary, where the theory of plate tectonics says most earthquakes of this size happen. Because if this, this area was not completely prepared for an earthquake of such size, causing much of the devestation
The earthquake
It occurred on a holiday in India, the 51st celebration of Republic Day. The epicenter of this quake was 23.6 North Latitude and 69.8 East Longitude, 20 kilometers northeast of Bhuj. The tremors were felt in major parts of the country, all the way to Ahmedabad and Surat. Although the official reading of this quake was 6.9 on the Richter scale, Western institutes report the magnitude up to 7.9.
The damage
The official figures said more than 20,000 dead and over 160,000 injured. Major casualties were in Bhuj, Ahmedabad, and Rajkot. The town of Bhuj was reduced to rubble and destroyed by the earthquake. Many high rise buildings in Ahmedabad were affected, causing much destruction. Nearly 120,000 houses and buildings were damaged. There were also casualties and damage in Pakistan, as its border with India is only about 100 km from the epicenter.
The major aftershocks of the quake were felt even after a month.
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