2002 Bou'in-Zahra earthquake
UTC time | 2002-06-22 02:58:21 |
---|---|
ISC event | 3187856 |
USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
Local date | 22 June 2002 |
Local time | 7:28 a.m. IST[1] |
Duration | 7 seconds[2] |
Magnitude | 6.5 Mwc[3] |
Depth | 10 km (6.2 mi)[4] |
Epicenter | 35°37′N 49°02′E / 35.62°N 49.04°E[4] |
Type | Thrust |
Areas affected | Iran |
Max. intensity | MMI VIII (Severe)[5] |
Landslides | 59[6] |
Aftershocks | more than 20[1] |
Casualties | at least 230 dead,[4] 1,500 injured,[1] and 50,000 homeless[2] |
The 2002 Bou'in-Zahra earthquake (also known as the 2002 Avaj earthquake or the 2002 Changureh earthquake
According to the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (
Background and tectonics
The northeastern part of Iran lies across part of the belt of active
The Bou'in-Zahra earthquake was located in an area of active
Multiple-event relocation of the main shock and aftershock epicenters and discontinuous surface ruptures recorded after the earthquake are compatible with northeastward movement on a southwest-dipping thrust, although maximum recorded displacements were less than would have been expected from the observed magnitude. This suggests that most of the slip did not actually reach the Earth's surface but caused folding at the surface.
Damage and casualties
The earthquake occurred at 02:58
An estimated 5,000 buildings were damaged beyond repair.[15] In the Qazvin province, 120 buildings were demolished and 50 villages suffered massive damage. In the neighboring Hamadan province, 45 villages were destroyed.[10] A large majority of houses in the region were single-story masonry buildings, and virtually all of these collapsed.[23] As non-engineered structures, these could not withstand seismic forces, with structural failure and collapse resulting from wall-to-wall separation and the lack of structural integrity and of a proper lateral system of resisting.[24] Newer structures built in accordance with the Iranian code of practice for seismic-resistant design fared much better.[23] Damage to the historic Kharaqan tomb towers, which were in a good state of preservation before the event, suggests that the earthquake was possibly one of the most powerful in the region for approximately 900 years.[11]
At a station 28 kilometres (17 mi) from the epicenter, the maximum horizontal and vertical accelerations were recorded to be roughly 0.5
The relatively low levels of damage in the towns of Avaj or Ab-e-Garm in comparison to Changureh and Ab Darreh suggest a focus of damage to the northwest of the epicenter due to northwest propagation.
The cost of the damage was estimated at US$91 million.
Landslides
The Bou'in-Zahra earthquake triggered 59 landslides over an area of about 3,600 square kilometres (1,390 sq mi). Landslides formed due to the quake included 47 falls and topples, nine slides, and three lateral spreads. The largest of these slides was a rockslide, 150 × 100 m (490 × 330 ft), which occurred southeast of Changureh. Landslides triggered by the quake occurred more often in the geologic areas most susceptible to damage, where there were many landslides before.[6]
Relief efforts and aftermath
The
United States President George W. Bush offered aid to Iran, which he had previously called part of an "axis of evil". According to him, "human suffering knows no political boundaries" and he stood "ready to assist the people of Iran as needed and as desired". However, the Iranian government refused his help, though it called for the help of non-governmental agencies.[8]
According to Hossein Rahnema, head of the Red Crescent in Changureh, the society "levelled an area to put up tents but most people wanted to stay next to their houses to look after their property".[1] Survivors instead lit small fires amongst the rubble to protect against freezing temperatures.[17] The Iranian President at the time, Mohammad Khatami, declared three days of mourning and visited earthquake-stricken areas on June 25.[27] Hospitals struggled to cope with the surplus of patients, discharging non-critical ones from their wards.[28] The Associated Press stated that 20 funerals were held on June 23, 2002, at a cemetery overlooking the village of Abdareh.[14] A bank account was started to handle public donations for the families of the dead.[19]
Often armed with no more than shovels and spades, soldiers and civilians dug for bodies in the rubble. Other than this, rescue workers were faced with a number of obstacles, including the temperatures of the villages damaged. They were warm during the day, although the villages grew colder at night, making rescue work harder and threatening the health of the homeless and anyone alive and trapped under the debris. Many civilians were discouraged from helping due to fear of aftershocks. According to Gary Oshea of International Rescue, the volunteers did not have enough technical equipment, and the religious leaders seemed unwilling to contribute much.[15] Official rescue work ended on June 24, 2002, when rescue workers said there were no more survivors.[1]
Public reaction
Of the roughly 80 villages that suffered heavy damage, the Iranian government claimed that relief work was mostly complete.
Reconstruction
Electricity was restored to affected areas by June 25.[9] On November 9, 2002, the World Bank granted $225 million towards the reconstruction and economic rehabilitation of the area devastated by the quake.[31] Reconstruction of housing and infrastructure by provincial authorities was interrupted for almost four months (November 2002 – February 2003) due to harsh weather conditions. In August 2003, the reconstruction was completed in all villages affected by the earthquake.[16]
See also
Notes
- [a] ^ Several sources call the earthquake the 2002 Changureh or Avaj earthquake, as reports differ as to the quake's location.[2][10][11] The official Islamic Republic News Agency report names Bou'in-Zahra the nearest town to the epicenter.[17]
- [b] ^ Bou'in-Zahra is a county,[15] and a city of the same name.[17][32]
- [c] ^ The name of this city and county has sometimes been transliterated as Bouynzahra,[33] Buin-Zahra,[2] and Buyin Zahra.[11]
- [d] US$513,125,000 today. See Inflation Calculator.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "'No more survivors' in Iran quake". BBC News. 24 June 2002. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Zare, Mehdi (September 2002). "A Seismological Overview on the Changureh (Avaj, Iran) Earthquake of 22 June 2002, Mw=6.3" (PDF). Observatories and Research Facilities for European Seismology. 4 (2). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ ANSS. "Iran 2002: M 6.5 - western Iran". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Magnitude 6.5 Western Iran". United States Geological Survey. 13 November 2003. Archived from the original on 18 July 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
- ISBN 978-0444632920
- ^ .
- ^ ANSS: Iran 2002 (accessed 2018-03-29).
- ^ a b c d e f "Help too late, say quake survivors". CNN. 24 June 2002. Retrieved 19 June 2008.
- ^ a b c "245 Confirmed Dead In Iran Quake". CBS News. 24 June 2002. Retrieved 19 June 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Preliminary Earthquake Reconnaissance Report on the June 22, 2002 Changureh (Avaj), Iran Earthquake". International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology. 19 July 2002. Archived from the original on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
- ^ .
- ^ KhalilAllah, Fenghi; Shahryar, Solaymani (2003). "Geometry of Fault Ruptures of the Avaj Region Earthquake". Research Bulletin of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering. 5 (4).
- ^ KhalilAllah, Fenghi; Shahryar, Solaymani (2003). "Seismotectonics and Neotectonics of Changureh Earthquake on June 22, 2002". International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology.
- ^ a b c "Iranians angry at 'slow' quake help". BBC News. 23 June 2002. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Slackman, Michael (23 June 2002). "500 Killed, Thousands Injured in Iran Quake". Los Angeles Times. pp. A1. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
- ^ International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. ReliefWeb. 19 February 2004. Archived from the originalon 7 May 2006. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Iran buries dead after earthquake". USA Today. Associated Press. 23 June 2002. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- ^ a b "Al menos 500 muertos y 2.000 heridos por un terremoto en Irán". El País (in Spanish). 23 June 2002. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- ^ Voice of America News. 24 June 2002. Archived from the originalon 22 May 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
- ^ a b c "222 Dead In Iran Earthquake". CBS News. 23 June 2002. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ Fathi, Nazila (23 June 2002). "Quake in Northern Iran Kills at Least 500". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- Bibcode:2002AGUFM.S71B1091H.
- ^ . Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- ^ Eshghi, Sassan; Zahre, Mehdi; Mahdavifar, Mohammad R (23 June 2002). "The Changureh (Avaj) earthquake of June 22, 2002". Japan Society for Natural Disaster Science. Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
- ^ "UN assessment team in Iran quake regions says 2,000–4,000 injured. ReliefWeb". Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- ^ "Relief efforts continue after Saturday's quake". IRIN. 24 June 2002. Archived from the original on 25 July 2002. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ "Iranians angry at 'slow' quake help". BBC News. 23 June 2002. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
- ^ Hill, Amelia (23 June 2002). "Iranian villages razed as quake kills 400". The Observer. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
- ^ Hafesi, Parisa (24 June 2002). "Hundreds killed in Iran earthquake". The Guardian. Reuters. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- ^ "Stones thrown at quake officials". One News. 24 June 2002. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
- ^ "World Bank grants 225 million dollars for Iran's quake-hit areas". Xinhua News Agency. 9 November 2002. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- ^ "500 dead in Iranian earthquake". The Telegraph. 22 June 2002. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
- ^ "Earthquake Kills 500, Injures 2,000 In Iran. Sun Sentinel". Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
External links
- Shahryar, Solaymani; KhalilAllah, Feghhi. "Report of Surface Faulting and Morphotectonics of "Avaj Region" Earthquake on June 22, 2002". IIES. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
- The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.
- ReliefWeb's main page for this event.