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{{Short description|Earthquake centered in Maharashtra State, India}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox earthquake
| title = 1993 Latur earthquake
| timestamp = 1993-09-29 22:25:48
| anss-url = usp000618c
| isc-event = 210578
| local-date = {{start date text|30 September 1993|30 September 1993}}
| local-time = 03:56
| map2 = {{location map | India Maharashtra#India
|relief = yes
|label =
|lat = 18.07
|long = 76.62
|mark = Bullseye1.png
|marksize = 50
|caption =
|float = right
|width = 260}}
| magnitude = 6.2 {{M|w|link=y}}<ref name=ISC-GEM/> 6.3 {{M|s|link=y}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Event: MAHARASHTRA, INDIA|url=https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/5364|publisher=National Geophysical Data Center}}</ref>
| depth = {{convert|10|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=ISC-GEM/>
| location = {{coord|18.07|76.62|display=inline, title}}<ref name=ISC-GEM/>
| type = [[Fault (geology)#Dip-slip faults|Reverse]]<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
| countries affected = India
| damages = [[United States dollar|$]]280 million–1.3 billion<ref name=PAGER-CAT/>
| intensity = {{MMI|8}} <ref name=NGDC/> {{MSK-64|8}} <ref name="Gupta">{{cite journal |author1=Harsh Gupta |author2=Bal Krishna Rastogi |title=An investigation into the Latur earthquake of September 29, 1993 in southern India |journal=[[Tectonophysics (journal)|Tectonophysics]] |year=1998 |volume=287 |issue=1 |pages=299–318 |doi=10.1016/S0040-1951(98)80075-9 |bibcode=1998Tectp.287..299G |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223484497}}</ref>
| casualties = 9,748 dead<ref name=PAGER-CAT/> 30,000 injured<ref name=PAGER-CAT/> 1 million displaced<ref name="Overview">{{cite web|title=overview of the maharashtra, india emergency earthquake rehabilitation program|url=https://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/wcee/article/2290.pdf|website=iitk.ac.in|access-date=15 March 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308055437/https://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/wcee/article/2290.pdf |archive-date=8 March 2022 }}</ref>
}}

The '''1993 Latur earthquake''' struck [[India]] at 3:56 am local time ([[UTC+05:30]]) on 30 September. The main area affected were the districts of [[Latur]] and [[Dharashiv district|Osmanabad]], including the Ausa block of Latur and Omerga of Osmanabad in [[Maharashtra]], [[Western India]].<ref name="Earth Quake">{{cite web|title=Earth Quake|url=http://latur.nic.in/html/earthquake.htm|access-date=26 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209043831/http://latur.nic.in/html/earthquake.htm|archive-date=9 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Fifty-two villages were demolished in the [[intraplate earthquake]]. It measured 6.2 on the moment magnitude scale, and approximately 10,000 people died,<ref name="latur ref1">{{cite news |last1=Somasekhar |first1=M. |title=26 years on, the Latur quake has taught us many lessons |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/26-years-on-the-latur-quake-has-taught-us-many-lessons/article29559392.ece |access-date=20 October 2021 |work=Business Line|location=Chennai |date=1 October 2019}}</ref> whilst another 30,000 were injured. The earthquake's [[hypocenter]] was around 10 km deep – relatively shallow – allowing shock waves to cause more damage. It is considered the deadliest earthquake in the stable [[continental crust]] to have occurred in recorded history.<ref name=NGDC/>

Because the location does not lie on a plate boundary, there was some debate as to what caused the earthquake. The Indian sub-continent crumples as it pushes against [[Asia]] and pressure is released. It is possible that this pressure is released along fault lines. Another argument is that reservoir construction along the [[Terna River|Terna]] was responsible for increasing pressure on fault lines. Killari,<ref name="latur ref2">{{cite news |title=Latur earthquake 1993: September 30, a 'black day' for quake survivors in Maharashtra's Killari village – The Financial Express |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/latur-earthquake-1993-september-30-a-black-day-for-quake-survivors-in-maharashtras-killari-village/1327317/ |access-date=20 October 2021 |work=The Financial Express |date=26 September 2018}}</ref> where the epicenter of the quake is believed to have been, had a large crater, which remains in place to date.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://divyamarathi.bhaskar.com/news/MAH-MAR-killari-earthquake-22-years-5127947-NOR.html|title=PHOTOS : किल्लारी भूकंप, २३ वर्षांनंतरही जखमा अजून ओल्‍या|work=divyamarathi|access-date=13 September 2018|language=mr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/maharashtras-deadliest-earthquake-265569-2015-09-30|title=Maharashtra's deadliest earthquake: Some facts you must know about the Latur earthquake|website=India Today|date=30 September 2015 |access-date=13 September 2018}}</ref>

==Background and geology==
The Latur area, and indeed peninsular India where it is located, was previously considered having the least possibility of seismic activity. Prior to 1967 there had been only three recorded notable earthquakes in peninsular India. The Koyna earthquake, a few hundred miles west of Latur in 1967 was the most recent one.<ref>Gupta, H. K., Mohan, I., Rastogi, B. K., Rao, M. N., & Rao, C. V. R. (1993). A quick look at the Latur earthquake of 30 September 1993. Current Science, 65(7), 517–521. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24095866</ref> Latur area is near the eastern end of [[Deccan Traps]] formed by [[flood basalt]]. The basalt flows in the area are estimated to be 450 meters thick with the terrain generally flat.<ref>Rajendran, C. P., Rajendran, K., Unnikrishnan, K. R., & John, B. (1996). Palaeoseismic indicators in the rupture zone of the 1993 Killari (Latur) earthquake. Current Science, 70(5), 385–390. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24097438</ref>

==Impact==
The earthquake struck at 03:56 AM local time, when many residents were still celebrating a religious holiday. In Latur District, 817 of its 936 villages were affected; 374 villages were damaged in Osmanabad District.<ref name="Comfort95">{{cite book |last1=Comfort |first1=Louise K. |title=Self organization in disaster response and recovery: The Maharashtra, India Earthquake of September 30, 1993 |date=1 January 1995 |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/154457711.pdf |publisher=Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, University of Colorado}}</ref> Fifty-two villages were levelled.<ref name="latur ref3" /> Estimates of the death toll range from 7,582 to over 11,000. In Killari, more than 1,200 people died and at least 2,847 homes were razed.<ref name="Comfort95" /> Within the epicenter area, nearly all livestock were destroyed. The scale of death and destruction was considered disproportionately large for the moderate earthquake magnitude. Poor construction methods and rainy weather which preceded the earthquake contributed to the destruction.<ref name="Kaul94">{{cite journal |last1=Kaul |first1=Ravi |title=Latur Earthquake |journal=World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues |date=1994 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=55–57 |publisher=Kapur Surya Foundation}}</ref><ref name="latur ref4">{{cite news |title=Only 3,500 Latur earthquake victims got jobs in 27 years: Report |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/only-3-500-latur-earthquake-victims-got-jobs-in-27-years-report/story-KjTPBb2xsr51lD5wejB53N.html |access-date=20 October 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=30 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="latur ref5">{{cite news |last1=Aggarwal |first1=Arshi |title=Killari quake: 25 years on, survivors still recovering from quake which killed 10,000 |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-killari-quake-25-years-on-survivors-still-recovering-from-quake-which-killed-10-000-466850 |access-date=20 October 2021 |publisher=indiatvnews. |date=30 September 2018}}</ref>

==Relief efforts==
Several foreign and local donors reacted immediately to the tragedy by sending relief teams and rescue workers.<ref name="latur ref3">{{cite news |title=Maharashtra's deadliest earthquake: Some facts you must know about the Latur earthquake |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/maharashtras-deadliest-earthquake-265569-2015-09-30 |access-date=20 October 2021 |work=India Today |date=30 September 2015}}</ref> Physicians and staff from Railway Hospital, Solapur and V.M. Medical College, [[Solapur]] were amongst the first to reach the site and assisted with treatment of the injured over the next several weeks. The first convoy of over 120 trucks laden with relief material such as tents, blankets, food and clothing, medical supplies and temporary shelters given by international donors<ref name="latur ref3" /> departed from [[Mumbai]] at around 10am on 2 October 1993. 42nd battalion of MIL, The [[Indian Army]], State Reserve Police Force, [[Central Reserve Police Force]] and other law enforcement agencies and volunteer organizations like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) rushed their personnel almost immediately after the quake,<ref name="latur ref3" /> assuming there would be a greater number of casualties.

==See also==
{{Portal|India}}
*[[List of earthquakes in 1993]]
*[[List of earthquakes in India]]
*[[Geology of Maharashtra]]
*[[Nanded earthquakes]]

==References==
<references>
<ref name=ISC-GEM>{{citation|title=ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2012)|url=http://www.isc.ac.uk/iscgem/index.php|author=ISC|year=2016|publisher=[[International Seismological Centre]]|series=Version 3.0}}</ref>
<ref name=NGDC>{{citation|title=Significant Earthquake Database|url=https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/struts/form?t=101650&s=1&d=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929000601/http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/struts/form?t=101650&s=1&d=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 September 2006|author=National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS)|publisher=[[National Geophysical Data Center]], [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]|doi=10.7289/V5TD9V7K|year=1972}}</ref>
<ref name=PAGER-CAT>{{citation|title=PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/|date=4 September 2009|publisher=United States Geological Survey|series=Version 2008_06.1}}</ref>
</references>

==Further reading==
* Baumbach, M. & Grosser, Helmut & Schmidt, H. & Paulat, A. & Rietbrock, Andreas & Rao, C. & Raju, P. & Sarkar, D. & Mohan, Indra. (1994). Study of the Foreshocks and Aftershocks of the Intraplate Latur Earthquake of 30 September 1993, India.
* {{cite journal | last1=Gupta | first1=Harsh K. | last2=Rastogi | first2=B.K. | last3=Mohan | first3=Indra | last4=Rao | first4=C.V.R.K. | last5=Sarma | first5=S.V.S. | last6=Rao | first6=R.U.M. | title=An investigation into the Latur earthquake of September 29, 1993 in southern India | journal=Tectonophysics | volume=287 | issue=1–4 | year=1998 | issn=0040-1951 | doi=10.1016/s0040-1951(98)80075-9 | pages=299–318| bibcode=1998Tectp.287..299G }}
* {{cite journal | last=Gupta | first=H. K. | author-link=Harsh Gupta | title=The Deadly Latur Earthquake | journal=Science | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | volume=262 | issue=5140 | date=10 December 1993 | issn=0036-8075 | doi=10.1126/science.262.5140.1666 | pages=1666–1667X | jstor=2885075| pmid=17781784 | bibcode=1993Sci...262.1666G }}
* {{cite journal | last=Parasuraman | first=S. | title=The Impact of the 1993 Latur-Osmanabad (Maharashtra) Earthquake on Lives, Livelihoods and Property | journal=Disasters | volume=19 | issue=2 | year=1995 | issn=0361-3666 | doi=10.1111/j.1467-7717.1995.tb00366.x | pages=156–169| pmid=7600058 | bibcode=1995Disas..19..156P }}
* {{cite journal | last1=Rajendran | first1=C. P. | last2=Rajendran | author-link1=C. P. Rajendran | first2=Kusala | last3=John | first3=Biju | title=The 1993 Killari (Latur), central India, earthquake: An example of fault reactivation in the Precambrian crust | journal=Geology | volume=24 | issue=7 | year=1996 | issn=0091-7613 | doi=10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0651:tklcie>2.3.co;2 | page=651| bibcode=1996Geo....24..651R }}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070217113739/http://www.imd.ernet.in/section/seismo/static/latur.htm imd.ernet.in: LATUR EARTHQUAKE OF SEPTEMBER 30,1993]
* {{EQ-isc-link|210578}}

{{Earthquakes in 1993}}
{{Earthquakes in India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Latur}}
[[Category:1993 in India]]
[[Category:1993 earthquakes]]
[[Category:Earthquakes in Maharashtra|1993 Latur]]
[[Category:History of Maharashtra (1947–present)]]
[[Category:History of Latur]]
[[Category:September 1993 in India]]
[[Category:1993 disasters in India]]
[[Category:Rao administration]]

1993 Latur earthquake - Revision history

Navi guy at 15:50, 10 March 2026