1966 Tashkent earthquake
Uzbek SSR | |
Max. intensity | MSK-64 VII (Very strong)[2] |
---|---|
Casualties | 15–200 killed |
The 1966 Tashkent earthquake (
Background
Tashkent and its immediate vicinity were prone to earthquakes and 74 earthquakes of a magnitude between 3 and 6 had been recorded from 1914 to 1966.[5] The city had been damaged by earthquakes in 1866 and 1886.[6]
Concerns about possible earthquake damage to the city were raised in the 1940s and 1950s, especially after Ashgabat was devastated in an earthquake in 1948.[7] Before the Tashkent earthquake, an increase in radon levels had been noticed.[8]
Earthquake
The earthquake occurred at 05:23[9][10] at the very shallow (and more destructive) depth of 3–8 kilometers (1.9–5.0 mi)[10] with its epicentre in the centre of the city.[11]
The quake caused massive destruction to property. In total, over 80% of the city was destroyed,[12] including over half of the old city.[13]
In total, between 78,000[14] and 95,000 homes were destroyed.[15] Most of these were traditional adobe housing in more densely populated central areas.[16] The majority of the most significant buildings in Tashkent were destroyed; this included 600-year-old mosques.[17] Most of these buildings predated the Russian Revolution of 1917.[18] However, only Navoi Theater, which was built by Japanese prisoners of war was unharmed.[19][20][21]
Estimates of those made homeless by the disaster ranged from 200,000[15][22] to 300,000.[23]
While the official death toll was 15 people[23] this figure may be an underestimate due to Soviet secrecy[24][25] and other sources estimated death tolls ranging from 200 people[17] to 0.5%[26] of the city's population of 1,100,000.[27] Over 20% more women than men were killed.[26]
Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, senior Soviet figures, including CPSU Chairman Leonid Brezhnev, flew to Tashkent to supervise the recovery efforts.[10] A massive rebuilding project was started,[17] with other Soviet republics sending large numbers of workers to assist in the rebuilding process.[27][28] This changed the ethnic make up of the city, as many of them remained in Tashkent after the work had been completed.[28] The new Tashkent contained architectural styles found in other Soviet cities[14] such as wide boulevards[28] and large apartment block complexes.[14] By 1970, 100,000 new homes had been constructed.[14]
The earthquake also resulted in increased religiosity, with increased interest in many Islamic ritual practices.[29]
To prevent further such disasters from having such a serious impact on the city, in 1966 Soviet authorities created an Institute of seismology, tasked with monitoring seismic changes, such as changes in radon levels and predicting earthquakes.[30]
A memorial stone to victims of the earthquake located above the epicentre was unveiled in 1976.[9]
See also
References
- ^ ISC (27 June 2022), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 9.1, International Seismological Centre
- ISBN 978-1-55028-931-2.
- ISBN 978-0-385-52665-4.
- S2CID 112220850.
- ISBN 9789231039850.
- ISBN 978-0-8229-7389-8.
- )
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84162-461-7.
- ^ ISBN 9789350878453.
- ISBN 978-0-472-08669-6.
- ^ Christensen, Anna (22 January 1984). "New Old collide in Tashkent". Deseret News. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ]
- ^ a b c d Sadikov, A C; Akramob, Z. M.; Bazarbaev, A.; Mirzlaev, T.M.; Adilov, S. R.; Baimukhamedov, X. N.; et al. (1984). Geographical Atlas of Tashkent (Ташкент Географический Атлас) (in Russian). Moscow. pp. 60, 64.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ ISBN 978-0-674-01385-8.
- ^ Nurtaev Bakhtiar (199). "Damage for buildings of different type". Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-56163-454-5.
- ^ "title unknown". Science Journal. 4: 74. 1968.
- ^ Katsumi Akai『Okayama zatsugaku nōto』Kibitoshuppan 2000 p.118-121
- ^ "Award Ceremony and Celebration for the Monodzukuri Nippon (Japan's Manufacturing) Grand Award". Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
- ^ "Japan-Uzbekistan Relations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan). Retrieved 2019-06-06.
- ISBN 9789211201543.
- ^ a b Schmemann, Serge (21 March 1984). "Big tremor rocks Central Asia area". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-389-20754-2.
- ^ Huxley, Michael (1973). "title unknown". The Geographical Magazine. 46: 411.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4020-2851-9.
- ^ ISBN 9789211201543.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-85109-656-5.
- ISBN 978-0-8223-0891-1.
- ISBN 978-0-08-048923-0.
Further reading
- Raab, Nigel (2014), "The Tashkent Earthquake of 1966: The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Natural Tragedy", Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas, 62 (2): 273–294, S2CID 252454991