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

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 out there. Nearly 120,000 houses and buildings were damaged.

The major aftershocks of the quake were felt even after a month.

External link

• Gujarat Earthquake, Government of India http://gujarat-earthquake.gov.in
• Bhuj Earthquake, Geological Survey of India http://www.gsi.gov.in/disaster.htm
• Bhuj earthquake, University of Colorado http://cires.colorado.edu/~bilham/Gujarat2001.html
• Gujarat Earthquake, Pictures and Analysis http://home.iitk.ac.in/~ramesh/gujrat/gujarat.htm