An earthquake struck India and Pakistan on 26 January 2001 at Template:Tooltip. The epicentre was about 9 km south-southwest of the village of Chobari in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch district in Gujarat, India.[1][2] The earthquake had a maximum Mercalli intensity of XII (Extreme).[3]
The intraplate earthquake measured 7.6 on the moment magnitude scale and occurred at a depth of Template:Cvt.[4] The earthquake killed at least 20,023 people, injured another 166,000 and destroyed about 400,000 buildings in Gujarat and the Pakistani province of Sindh.[5][6][7] The vast majority of deaths and damage were observed in Kutch district, while nearly 1,600 additional deaths occurred in the cities of Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Surendranagar, Surat, Gandhinagar and Vadodara.[8]
Tectonic setting
Template:See also Gujarat lies 300–400 km from the plate boundary between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate, but the current tectonics are still governed by the effects of the continuing continental collision along this boundary. During the break-up of Gondwana in the Jurassic, this area was affected by rifting with a roughly west–east trend. During the collision with Eurasia the area has undergone shortening, involving both reactivation of the original rift faults and development of new low-angle thrust faults. The related folding has formed a series of ranges, particularly in central Kutch.[9]
The focal mechanism of most earthquakes is consistent with reverse faulting on reactivated rift faults. The pattern of uplift and subsidence associated with the 1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake is consistent with reactivation of such a fault.
Earthquake
| Estimated number of people exposed to shaking levels[10] | |
| MMI | Population exposure |
|---|---|
| 244k | |
| 1,520k | |
| 7,002k | |
| 20,836k | |
The earthquake was caused by movement on a previously unknown south-dipping fault, trending parallel to the inferred rift structures.[11][12] No major surface ruptures were associated with the shock, classifying it as a blind thrust earthquake. Lateral spreading was widely reported and strike-slip faulting was observed at Bharodia and Manfara.[13] On the moment magnitude scale, the International Seismological Centre said it measured a magnitude of 7.6,[4] while the United States Geological Survey put it at 7.7.[14]
Rupture propagation
A finite fault model from the USGS estimated that the earthquake rupture had an area of Template:Cvt x Template:Cvt, lasting approximately 25 seconds. Slip was mostly concentrated around the northern patches of the rupture, with a maximum slip of Template:Cvt recorded in the village of Chobari. The full rupture also extended through the cities of Bhuj and Rapar, although slip in these areas was extremely minor.[14] Despite the large magnitude and rupture area, no visible surface ruptures could be identified in the epicentral area.[15]
Ground motion
The earthquake had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX-XII (Violent-Extreme).[3] It also registered X (Devastating) on the Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale, with the maximum intensity observed over an east-northeast elongated zone of approximately Template:Cvt; much of Gujarat recorded tremors of VII (Very Strong) or higher. Ahmedabad recorded a maximum peak ground acceleration of 0.11 g. Shaking from the earthquake lasted several minutes, with stronger ground motion lasting at least 85 seconds. Numerous rockfalls and landslides occurred in the Bhuj and Bhachau areas. There was extensive evidence of soil liquefaction at the Rann of Kutch, Banni Grasslands Reserve, coastal areas of the Gulf of Kutch and numerous sand boils in dry lakebeds northeast of Bhuj. After the earthquake, these sand boils had fountains of saline groundwater rising Template:Cvt. Widespread subsidence and lateral spreading also occurred at Kandla and Navlakhi ports.[15][3]
Aftershocks
By 31 December 2001, there were 107 aftershocks exceeding Template:M which were recorded by the USGS, including 9 events measuring Template:M or higher; most aftershocks occurred south of the epicenter near Bhachau.[16] The largest aftershock occurred on 28 January, had a magnitude of Template:M and was located Template:Cvt west-southwest of Rapar.[17]
Damage and casualties
| Area | Deaths[8] | Injuries[18] |
|---|---|---|
| Kutch | 18,416 | 39,765 |
| Ahmedabad | 752[19] | 4,030 |
| Rajkot | 433 | 10,567 |
| Jamnagar | 119 | 4,592 |
| Surendranagar | 113 | 2,851 |
| Surat | 46 | 157 |
| Patan | 38 | 1,686 |
| Banaskantha | 32 | 2,770 |
| Navsari | 17 | 51 |
| Bharuch | 9 | 44 |
| Porbandar | 9 | 90 |
| Gandhinagar | 8 | 240 |
| Junagadh | 8 | 87 |
| Bhavnagar | 4 | 44 |
| Vadodara | 1 | 256 |
| Anand | 1 | 20 |
The United States Geological Survey's PAGER-CAT catalog reported 20,023 fatalities.[20] Additionally, 166,836 injuries were recorded,[6] a total of 28 million people across Gujarat were affected, and 442 villages lost at least 70% of houses.[19] In Kutch District, 90% of homes were damaged or destroyed, with 24% of the housing stock affected overall in Gujarat; most affected buildings were non-engineered, unreinforced stonemasonry, although many reinforced concrete buildings also collapsed. Water outages were widespread due to liquefaction and soil compaction, with many pumping stations and two water towers collapsing in the affected area. However, damage to highways and bridges was relatively minor.[3]
Bhuj, one of the closest cities to the epicenter, was devastated, with roughly 10,000 people killed[21] and 95% of buildings destroyed or uninhabitable after the quake;[22] 38,653 homes partially or fully collapsed in the city.[23] The quake also destroyed eight schools, two hospitals and 4 km of road in Bhuj, and partly destroyed the historic Swaminarayan temple and historic forts, Prag Mahal and Aina Mahal. The Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) inspected more than 250 heritage buildings in Kutch and Saurashtra and found that about 40% of them either collapsed or were seriously damaged; only 10% were undamaged.[24] Bhuj's district hospital collapsed, killing about 193 people inside,[19] while at the city's main telephone exchange building, 50% of its walls collapsed, damaging interior electrical controls and resulting in many casualties.[3]
Over 1.2 million houses in 8,000 villages and 490 towns were damaged or destroyed, as well as 12,000 schools, 2,000 health facilities, many historic buildings and tourist attractions;[25][26][27] 400,000 of the damaged homes completely collapsed.[5] Across Bhachau, over 5,000 people died and 9,000 houses were damaged or destroyed.[25] In Chobari, the closest settlement to the epicenter, all 3,200 houses were razed and 648 residents were killed.[28] Over 400 were also feared dead in Rapar.[29] Adhoi village lost 354 residents, including 25 students at a school. Much of Vondh was also razed and 400 people died there.[25] All 208 houses in the village of Visnagar were also destroyed.[30] In Anjar, over 2,000 people died, including 204 who were killed at a Republic Day parade.[31] There were also nearly 2,000 deaths in Gandhidham, where 30 high-rise buildings collapsed,[32] and in nearby Kandla, roads and facilities at the Port of Kandla were badly affected.[3][29] At the Navlakhi, extensive subsidence caused the main access road and port to drop below sea level at high tide, preventing goods from being imported; lateral spreading caused a newly built reinforced concrete wharf to collapse into the sea.[3] Ten people were killed and all 940 homes were badly damaged in Dhori village, including 914 which were completely razed by the quake, along with multiple health centers, schools, a water tower, the mosque and three Hindu temples.[21] In Khavda, 240 people died, thousands more were injured, 20% of homes collapsed and 40% of others were moderately damaged. There were also 225 deaths in Ratnal.[33]
In Ahmedabad, 1,021 apartments and 82 houses collapsed, and 752 people were killed.[19] Collapsing multistory buildings also caused deaths in Morbi and Surat.[15] Total property damage was estimated at $7.5 billion. The Indian military provided emergency support which was later augmented by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. A temporary Red Cross hospital remained in Bhuj to provide care while a replacement hospital was built.[34]
There were also 19 deaths in Pakistan.[35] The Badin-Tharparkar area recorded 12 deaths, 115 injuries, 1,989 collapsed homes and 43,643 damaged homes.[36] Liquefaction from the earthquake resulted in sugarcane farms being flooded, affecting crops in the village of Kadhan.[29]
Reconstruction
Four months after the earthquake the Gujarat government announced the Gujarat Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Policy. The policy proposed a different approach to urban and rural construction with the estimated cost of rebuilding to be US$1.77 billion.[37]
The main objectives of the policy included repairing, building, and strengthening houses and public buildings. Other objectives included the revival of the economy, health support, and reconstruction of the community and social infrastructure.[37]
Housing
The housing policies focused on the removal of rubble, setting up temporary shelters, full reconstruction of damaged houses, and the retrofitting of undamaged units. The policy established a community-driven housing recovery process. The communities affected by the earthquake were given the option for complete or partial relocation to in-situ reconstruction.[38] The total number of eligible houses to be repaired was 929,682 and the total number of eligible houses to be reconstructed was 213,685. By 2003, 882,896 (94%) houses were repaired and 113,271 (53%) were reconstructed.[39]
City planning
The Environmental Planning Collaborative (EPC) was commissioned to provide a new city plan for the city of Bhuj.[40] The plan focused on creating a wider roadway network to provide emergency access to the city. The EPC used land readjustment (LR) in the form of eight town planning schemes.[40] This was implemented by deducting land from private lot sizes to create adequate public land for the widening of roadways.[41] The remaining land was readjusted and given back to the original owners as final plots.[40]
Relief
The Government of Gujarat created four assistance packages worth up to US$1 billion to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the city. These packages assisted about 300,000 families. The government also announced a US$2.5 million package to revive small, medium, and cottage industries. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank also provided loans worth $300 million and $500 million, respectively.[39]
Assistance was offered from many countries and organisations.
| Country | Relief Offered |
|---|---|
| Template:Flag | US$550,000 |
| Template:Flag | 20,000 tons of rice and a 12-member medical team |
| Template:Flag | US$920,000 |
| Template:Flag | US$2 million |
| Template:Flag | US$602,000 |
| Template:Flag | US$270,000 in financial aid relief supplies |
| Template:Flag | 150 member emergency aid mission |
| Template:Flag | US$3 million in financial aid and US$1.14 million worth of relief supplies and equipments[42] |
| Template:Flag | US$250,000 |
| Template:Flagcountry | Relief materials and financial aid |
| Template:Flag | US$2.5 million through UNICEF |
| Template:Flag | US$200,000 grant |
| Template:Flag | 13 tons of relief material such as blankets and food |
| Template:Flag | Relief material and supplies |
| Template:Flagcountry | Medical and other relief supplies |
| Template:Flag | US$100,000 |
| Template:Flag | Relief material and supplies |
| Template:Flag | £10 million |
| Template:Flag | Relief supplies up to US$5 million |
| Template:Flag | Relief material and supplies |
| Organisations | Relief Given |
|---|---|
| American Red Cross of Central New Jersey | Grant program of US$10,000 with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross Indian Earthquake Relief Fund |
| CARE International | Relief Materials |
| HelpAge India | Relief materials to rural areas and Mobile Medicare Units (MMUs) |
| Oxfam | Food distribution. shelters, temporary bathing facilities, and relief materials |
| The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement | £10 million, 350-bed hospital, water and sanitation units, telecommunications team, and a British Red Cross logistics team |
| World Health Organization | US$1.2 million |
| Technisches Hilfswerk (THW) | Rehabilitation of water supply and storage for villages nearby Bhachau. |
| Department of International Development (DFID-UK) | Financing of relief funds for local and international NGO working on relief works in rural Kutch. |
Memorials
Smritivan, a memorial park and museum dedicated to victims of the earthquake was built on top of Bhujia Hill in Bhuj, Kutch and opened in 2022. Spread over an area of 470 acres, it has more than 13,805 trees, each dedicated to a victim, planted in the garden and 108 small water reservoirs created on the hill.[43][44][45]
Veer Balak Smarak in Anjar is a memorial dedicated to 185 school children and 20 teachers who died during the earthquake.[46][47][48]
In popular culture
- Kai Po Che! is a 2013 Hindi film which depicted the 2001 earthquake effects in Ahmedabad in its plot.
See also
References
- ↑ Gupta, Harsh K., et al. "Bhuj earthquake of 26 January 2001." Journal-Geological Society of India 57.3 (2001): 275–278.
- ↑ 15 years of Gujarat earthquake: A trauma etched in Gujarat's memory. The Times of India. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Gujarat (Kutch) India Earthquake of January 26, 2001 Lifeline Performance(April 1, 2001).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009). International Seismological Centre(27 June 2022).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Earthquake in South Asia – India and Pakistan Affected Update Apr 2001(11 April 2001). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Preliminary Earthquake Report. USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Retrieved 21 November 2007.
- ↑ Economic consequences of the Gujarat earthquake, Sen, Kavita. Academia(January 2001).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 India Earthquake Update #25(23 March 2001). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ↑ A review and new data on neotectonic evolution of active faults in the Kachchh Basin, Western India: legacy of post-Deccan Trap tectonic inversion. Geological Society, London, Special Publications({Template:Year).
- ↑ EXPO-CAT Earthquake Catalog. United States Geological Survey(December 1, 2008).
- ↑ Source Parameters and Tectonic Implications of Aftershocks of the Mw 7.6 Bhuj Earthquake of 26 January 2001. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America({Template:Year).
- ↑ Plate Boundary Zones{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. American Geophysical Union(2002). ISBN 978-1-118-67044-6
- ↑ M7.7 Bhuj " Republic Day " Earthquake, 2001. Retrieved 18 November 2006.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Template:Cite anss
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Preliminary Observations on the Origin and Effects of the January 26, 2001 Bhuj (Gujarat, India) Earthquake. Earthquake Engineering Research Institute(April 2001). Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ↑ USGS earthquake catalog. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ Template:Cite anss
- ↑ Casualties of 2001 Gujarat, India earthquake.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Template:Cite report
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedPAGER-CAT - ↑ 21.0 21.1 In Quake, Unity Overcame Diversity. The New York Times(10 February 2001). Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ↑ Gujarat earthquake emergency update Dec 2002(20 December 2002). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ↑ 2001 Gujarat Earthquake: How the state bounced back from the worst disaster ever. Mid-Day(23 January 2024). Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ↑ Effect of the Bhuj, India earthquake of 26 January 2001 on heritage buildings. Beiträge zur Allgemeinen und Vergleichenden Archäologie({Template:Year).
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Winners and losers of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. Environment & Urbanization({Template:Date).
- ↑ India: Gujarat earthquake victims to receive more support to rebuild lives(2 May 2002). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ↑ Interdisciplinary Observations on The January 2001 Bhuj, Gujarat Earthquake. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
- ↑ Nearest settlement to the Epicentre of 2001 earthquake: Chobari still bears scars of devastation. The Indian Express(26 January 2021). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 The Bhuj, India, earthquake of January 26, 2001. Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance(February 2001). Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ↑ India: Gujarat Earthquake 2001 – Visnagar, Gujarat getting new life(12 June 2003). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ↑ Anjar remembers its dead children. The Times of India(26 January 2002). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ↑ What The Quake Means For Gujarat Inc. Business Insider(29 January 2001). Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ↑ India/Gujarat: Earthquake Appeal No. 04/2001 Situation Report No. 6(6 February 2001). Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ↑ Gujarat (Kutch), India, M7.7 Earthquake of January 26, 2001, and Napa M5.2 Earthquake of September 3, 2000{{#if:Eidinger|, Eidinger}. ASCE Publications(2001). ISBN 9780784475065
- ↑ India Earthquake Update 26 Jan 2001(26 January 2001). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ↑ Earthquake. Government of Sindh. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Safer Homes, Stronger Communities: A Handbook for Reconstructing after Natural Disasters{{#if:Jha|, Jha}. World Bank Publications(2010). ISBN 9780821382684
- ↑ Safer Homes, Stronger Communities: A Handbook for Reconstructing after Natural Disasters{{#if:Jha|, Jha}. World Bank Publications(2010). ISBN 9780821382684
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 The Gujarat Earthquake 2001, Sinha, Anil. Asian Disaster Reduction Center. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Planning Using Land Readjustment in Bhuj (India). Journal of the American Planning Association({Template:Date).
- ↑ Using Land Readjustment in Rebuilding the Earthquake-Damaged City of Bhuj, India. Journal of Urban Planning and Development({Template:Year).
- ↑ II-4 インド地震における緊急援助, ODA Bluebook 2002, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
- ↑ Gujarat to set up quake memorial in Bhuj. Business Standard(16 April 2004).
- ↑ Modi to inaugurate first phase of 'Smriti Van' Kutch earthquake memorial in Jan 2019(20 November 2018).
- ↑ PM Modi inaugurates Smriti Van Memorial in Kutch – See pics of museum. Zee News. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ↑ PM Modi to inaugurate 'Veer Balak Memorial' in Gujarat. Details here. Hindustan Times(28 August 2022). Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ↑ અંજારના વીર બાળક સ્મારકની વિશેષતાઓ, પીએમ મોદી કચ્છ પ્રવાસમાં કરશે લોકાર્પિત. ETV Bharat News(25 August 2022). Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ↑ આજે કચ્છના અંજારમાં 'વીર બાળક સ્મારક'નું વડાપ્રધાન નરેન્દ્ર મોદી લોકાર્પણ કરશે, Webdunia. gujarati.webdunia.com. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
External links
- M7.7 Bhuj "Republic Day" Earthquake, 2001 – Amateur Seismic Centre
- 26 January 2001 Bhuj earthquake, Gujarat, India – University of Colorado
- Gujarat Earthquake of January 26, 2001 – Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
- Israel Defence Forces relief efforts
- Template:EQ-isc-link
- Template:ReliefWeb-link
Template:Earthquakes in 2001 Template:Earthquakes in India Template:Authority control