2003 Boumerdès earthquake
UTC time | 2003-05-21 18:44:20 |
---|---|
ISC event | 6845775 |
USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
Local date | May 21, 2003 |
Local time | 19:44:21 |
Magnitude | 6.8 Mw[1] |
Depth | 12 km (7.5 mi) [1] |
Epicenter | 36°55′N 3°43′E / 36.91°N 3.71°E [1] |
Type | Dip-slip[2] |
Areas affected | Algeria |
Total damage | $5 billion [3] |
Max. intensity | X (Extreme) [3] |
Peak acceleration | 0.58 g [4] |
Tsunami | 3 m (10 ft) [2] |
Casualties | 2,266 killed, 10,261 injured[4] |
The 2003 Boumerdès earthquake occurred on May 21 at 19:44:21 local time in northern
Tectonic setting
Northern Algeria is situated at the boundary between the
The earthquake occurred in the boundary region between the Eurasian plate and the African plate. Along this section of the plate boundary, the African plate is moving northwestward against the Eurasian plate with a velocity of about 6 mm per year. The relative plate motions create a compressional tectonic environment, in which earthquakes occur by thrust-faulting and strike-slip faulting. Analysis of seismic waves generated by this earthquake shows that it occurred as the result of thrust-faulting.[4]
Damage and casualties
Approximately 2,266 people died, 10,261 injured, and 200,000 left homeless as a result of the earthquake.
The quake generated a localized tsunami, which damaged boats off the coast of the Balearic Islands.[4] The eastern side of Algiers was affected most;[6] overall, the Boumerdès Province was the hardest-hit region.[8] According to officials, roughly 400 people were killed in Algiers only.[6] In the Boumerdès Province, several cities were heavily damaged, with Thénia, Zemmouri, and Boumerdès,[8] being the worst affected.[9] Many buildings built in the early twentieth century during the colonial rule suffered heavy damage in the Belcourt, Bab-El-Oued and El-Casbah areas in Algiers Province.[10]
According to the Algerian Ministry of Housing, in the Algiers Province only approximately 554 schools suffered light damage, while nearly 330 schools received moderate damage and 11 were heavily damaged or completely destroyed.[11] The University of Boumerdès was severely damaged, and many buildings in the area collapsed. Damage was also reported to the University of Science and Technology in Bab Ezzouar, which has the largest university campus in Algeria.[9]
A water treatment plant in Boudouaou, which provides more than 12% of the treated water to the Boumerdès and Algiers, suffered light damage to the clarifiers and clear water storage tanks. The water pipeline from the Keddara Dam to the water treatment plant was broken at a concrete junction structure at the dam, as well as at the treatment plant. The main power plant in Cap Djenet suffered minor to moderate damage. A high voltage switch yard located near Réghaïa had heavy damage.[12]
The earthquake had significant effect on local communication. An 8,000 switch central office in the
Relief efforts
Many nations sent rescue teams to help in the search for earthquake survivors.
Response from other countries
- France: Jacques Chirac expressed the sympathy and solidarity of the French people and promised all necessary aid. France immediately provided human and material assistance. Transall aircraft of the Air Force took off with rescue specialists, followed by firefighters from Marseille and medical units.[20]
- Canada: Canada pledged approximately $150,000 for search and rescue works to find survivors.[18]
- Egypt: Egypt sent a team of physicians and medicines to Algeria.[21]
- Germany: Germany sent 25 rescue workers to the affected region.[18]
- ICE-SARrubble rescue team.
- Morocco: Morocco sent a medical team along with medicines to Algeria.[21]
- Pakistan: Pakistan sent relief goods for the earthquake victims. A special flight containing 2,500 blankets, 200 tents and 31 cartons of medicines was dispatched to Algeria.[22]
- People's Republic of China: The People's Republic of China dispatched a team of rescue workers from the China International Search and Rescue (CISAR), PRC's main organization for international earthquake rescue work, to Algeria to search for survivors.[23]
- Poland: Poland sent 27 rescue workers from Gdańsk with expert equipment, maintaining readiness to send further reinforcements,[24] and the Polish Medical Mission sent medical supplies.[25]
- Russia: Physicians and rescue workers were dispatched from Moscow.[18]
- Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia sent aircraft carrying 102 tons of foodstuffs and tents.[21]
- South Africa: South Africa sent recovery teams to Algeria.[18]
- Sweden: Sweden sent sniffer dogs to Algeria.[19]
- Switzerland: Switzerland sent sniffer dogs to search survivors.[19] A 90-member recovery team was dispatched to the Boumerdès area.[26]
- United Kingdom: United Kingdom sent nearly 100 rescue workers.[18]
- United States: US President George W. Bush assured Bouteflika of "the support and friendship of the United States".[19]
Public anger
There was anger among the survivors over the fact that the local authorities did not provide them with temporary shelters.[16] Government officials virtually did not take part in the relief efforts, but Islamic charities tried to provide quick assistance. The inability of the state to effectively respond to the disaster led to widespread criticism.[27] The effects of the earthquake became worse because the construction industry in Algeria did not apply rigorous safety standards of earthquake engineering to build earthquake-proof buildings[28] and several buildings lacked the architecture to withstand earthquakes.[15] New housing blocks constructed by the government and by individual builders were destroyed by the quake,[29][30] but private building from the French period withstood the earthquake.[29] This was another cause of public anger.[15][16] Some people claimed that officials saved money by using below-standard material in construction projects. Many angry protesters threw debris when President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Minister of State for the Interior and Local Authorities, Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni, tried to visit some affected regions.[15] A crowd kicked and stoned the car of Bouteflika when he visited Boumerdès shouting "pouvoir assassin" ("murdering power").[29] Prime Minister Ouyahia expressed the view of possibility of corruption in the construction sector.[15] A commission of inquiry was set up by the government to investigate the faulty construction of several buildings which collapsed in the quake.[27]
See also
- List of earthquakes in 2003
- List of earthquakes in Algeria
- 2004 Al Hoceima earthquake
- 2023 Al Haouz earthquake
Notes
- ^ a b c ISC (2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
- ^ a b USGS (September 4, 2009), PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey, archived from the original on 2020-03-13
- ^ doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
- ^ a b c d e Magnitude 6.8 Northern Algeria Archived 2008-05-11 at the Wayback Machine United States Geological Survey
- ^ a b Building performance in the Boumerdes, Algeria, Earthquake of May 21, 2003 Archived 2008-05-28 at the Wayback Machine Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering
- ^ a b c d Quake rescuers race against time CNN
- ^ ISBN 9780784407462. Archived from the originalon 2013-01-12.
- ^ a b Oliveira, Roca & Xavier 2006, p. 444
- ^ a b Keeping Schools Safe in Earthquakes 2004, p. 37
- ^ Keeping Schools Safe in Earthquakes 2004, p. 36
- ^ Keeping Schools Safe in Earthquakes 2004, p. 38
- ^ a b c Edwards 2004, p. 2
- ^ a b Edwards 2004, p. 3
- ^ Edwards 2004, pp. 2–3
- ^ a b c d e f Dean 2003, p. 177
- ^ a b c Search for Algeria earthquake survivors ends BBC News
- ^ Sniffer dogs sent to Algeria BBC News
- ^ a b c d e f Aid en route to Algeria BBC News
- ^ a b c d Algeria earthquake death tolls reaches nearly 1,600 USA Today
- ^ "Séisme sème la panique et la terreur". ladepeche.fr. François ténèze. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ a b c Earthquake -ridden Algeria receives aid from around the world
- ^ Pakistan s relief goods for Algeria's earthquake victims
- ^ Nation fulfils its obligations in rescue work People's Daily
- ^ "Polscy strażacy wylecieli do Algierii". RMF 24 (in Polish). 23 May 2003. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ^ "Misja Medyczna z pomocą Algierii". Puls Medycyny (in Polish). 2 June 2003. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ^ Epidemics, Looting Loom as New Threats to Algeria Earthquake Survivors Fox News
- ^ a b Freedom House 2004, p. 15
- ^ Oxford Business Group, p. 92
- ^ a b c Evans & Phillips 2008, p. 273
- ^ Elsheshtawy 2004, p. 54
References
- Edwards, Curtis L. (2004), Zemmouri, Algeria: Mw 6.8 Earthquake Of May 21, 2003, ASCE Publications, ISBN 978-0-7844-0746-2
- Oliveira, Carlos Sousa; Roca, Antoni; Xavier, Goula (2006), Assessing and Managing Earthquake Risk, Springer, ISBN 978-1-4020-1827-5
- Keeping Schools Safe in Earthquakes, OECD Publishing, 2004, ISBN 978-92-64-01669-9
- Dean, Lucy (2003-10-30), The Middle East and North Africa 2004 (50th ed.), Europa Publications, ISBN 978-1-85743-184-1
- Freedom House (2004), Freedom in the Middle East and North Africa, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 978-0-7425-3775-0
- Emerging Algeria 2006, Oxford Business Group, ISBN 978-1-902339-43-6
- Evans, Martin; Phillips, John (2008), Algeria: Anger of the Dispossessed, ISBN 978-0-300-10881-1
- Elsheshtawy, Yasser (2004), Planning Middle Eastern cities, ISBN 978-0-415-30400-9
External links
- History of deadly earthquakes – BBC News
- The Boumerdes (Algeria) Earthquake of May 21, 2003: Preliminary Reconnaissance Using Remotely Sensed Data – Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering
- Algeria hit by earthquake – BBC News
- The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.
- ReliefWeb's main page for this event.