 Buildings after the earthquake | |
   | |
| UTC time | 2001-01-26 03:16:40 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 1763683 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 26 January 2001 (2001-01-26) |
| Local time | 08:46 am IST |
| Duration | 85 seconds |
| Magnitude | 7.6Mw |
| Depth | 17.4 kilometres (10.8 mi) |
| Epicenter | 23°23′17″N70°19′34″E / 23.388°N 70.326°E /23.388; 70.326[1] |
| Type | Oblique-slip, Intraplate |
| Areas affected | Gujarat, India andSindh, Pakistan |
| Max. intensity | MMI XII (MSK-64 X) |
| Peak acceleration | 0.11g |
| Aftershocks | 107 >Mw 4.0 (as of 31/12/2001) Strongest: Mwc 5.8 on 28 January |
| Casualties | 20,023 fatalities, 166,951 injuries |
The2001 Gujarat earthquake, also known as theBhuj earthquake, occurred on 26 January at08:46 am IST. Theepicentre was about 9 km south-southwest of the village ofChobari inBhachauTaluka ofKutch district inGujarat,India.[2][3] The earthquake had a maximumMercalli intensity of XII (Extreme).[4]
Theintraplate earthquake measured 7.6 on themoment magnitude scale and occurred at a depth of 17.4 km (10.8 mi).[1] Theearthquake killed at least 20,023 people, injured another 166,000 and destroyed about 400,000 buildings inGujarat, India andSindh, Pakistan.[5][6][7] The vast majority of deaths and damage were observed inKutch district, while nearly 1,600 additional deaths occurred in the cities ofAhmedabad,Rajkot,Jamnagar,Surendranagar,Surat,Gandhinagar andVadodara.[8]
Gujarat lies 300–400 km from the plate boundary between theIndian plate and theEurasian plate, but the current tectonics are still governed by the effects of the continuingcontinental collision along this boundary. During the break-up ofGondwana in theJurassic, this area was affected byrifting with a roughly west–east trend. During the collision with Eurasia the area has undergone shortening, involving both reactivation of the original riftfaults and development of new low-anglethrust faults. The relatedfolding has formed a series of ranges, particularly in central Kutch.[9]
Thefocal mechanism of most earthquakes is consistent with reverse faulting onreactivated rift faults. The pattern of uplift and subsidence associated with the1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake is consistent with reactivation of such a fault.
| Estimated number of people exposed to shaking levels[10] | |
| MMI | Population exposure |
|---|---|
| MMI IX (Violent) | 244k |
| MMI VIII (Severe) | 1,520k |
| MMI VII (Very strong) | 7,002k |
| MMI VI (Strong) | 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 themoment magnitude scale, theInternational Seismological Centre said it measured a magnitude of 7.6,[1] while theUnited States Geological Survey put it at 7.7.[14]
A finite fault model from the USGS estimated that theearthquake rupture had an area of 141 km (88 mi) x 18 km (11 mi), lasting approximately 25 seconds. Slip was mostly concentrated around the northern patches of the rupture, with a maximum slip of 9.695 m (31.81 ft) recorded in the village ofChobari. The full rupture also extended through the cities of Bhuj andRapar, although slip in these areas was extremely minor.[14] Despite the large magnitude and rupture area, no visiblesurface ruptures could be identified in the epicentral area.[15]
The earthquake had a maximumModified Mercalli intensity of IX-XII (Violent-Extreme).[4] It also registered X (Devastating) on theMedvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale, with the maximum intensity observed over an east-northeast elongated zone of approximately 2,100 km2 (810 sq mi); much of Gujarat recorded tremors of VII (Very Strong) or higher.Ahmedabad recorded a maximumpeak ground acceleration of 0.11g. Shaking from the earthquake lasted several minutes, with stronger ground motion lasting at least 85 seconds. Numerous rockfalls and landslides occurred in theBhuj andBhachau areas. There was extensive evidence ofsoil liquefaction at theRann of Kutch,Banni Grasslands Reserve, coastal areas of theGulf of Kutch and numeroussand boils in dry lakebeds northeast ofBhuj. After the earthquake, these sand boils had fountains of salinegroundwater rising 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft). Widespreadsubsidence and lateral spreading also occurred atKandla andNavlakhi ports.[15][4]
By 31 December 2001, there were 107 aftershocks exceeding Mw 4.0 which were recorded by the USGS, including 9 events measuring Mw 5.0 or higher; most aftershocks occurred south of the epicenter nearBhachau.[16] The largest aftershock occurred on 28 January, had a magnitude of Mwc 5.8 and was located 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest ofRapar.[17]
| 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 |
TheUnited States Geological Survey'sPAGER-CAT catalog reported 20,023 fatalities.[20] Additionally, 166,836 injuries were recorded,[6] a total of 28 million people acrossGujarat were affected, and 442 villages lost at least 70% of houses.[19] InKutch District, 90% of homes were damaged or destroyed, with 24% of the housing stock affected overall in Gujarat; most affected buildings were non-engineered, unreinforcedstonemasonry, although many reinforced concrete buildings also collapsed. Water outages were widespread due to liquefaction andsoil compaction, with manypumping stations and two water towers collapsing in the affected area. However, damage to highways and bridges was relatively minor.[4]
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 historicSwaminarayan temple and historic forts,Prag Mahal andAina Mahal. TheIndian 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 maintelephone exchange building, 50% of its walls collapsed, damaging interior electrical controls and resulting in many casualties.[4]
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] AcrossBhachau, over 5,000 people died and 9,000 houses were damaged or destroyed.[25] InChobari, the closest settlement to the epicenter, all 3,200 houses were razed and 648 residents were killed.[28] Over 400 were also feared dead inRapar.[29] Adhoi village lost 354 residents, including 25 students at a school. Much ofVondh was also razed and 400 people died there.[25] All 208 houses in the village ofVisnagar were also destroyed.[30] InAnjar, over 2,000 people died, including 204 who were killed at aRepublic Day parade.[31] There were also nearly 2,000 deaths inGandhidham, where 30 high-rise buildings collapsed,[32] and in nearbyKandla, roads and facilities at thePort of Kandla were badly affected.[4][29] At theNavlakhi, extensive subsidence caused the main access road and port to drop belowsea level at high tide, preventing goods from being imported; lateral spreading caused a newly built reinforced concrete wharf to collapse into the sea.[4] 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] InKhavda, 240 people died, thousands more were injured, 20% of homes collapsed and 40% of others were moderately damaged. There were also 225 deaths inRatnal.[33]
InAhmedabad, 1,021 apartments and 82 houses collapsed, and 752 people were killed.[19] Collapsing multistory buildings also caused deaths inMorbi andSurat.[15] Total property damage was estimated at $7.5 billion. TheIndian military provided emergency support which was later augmented by theInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. A temporaryRed Cross hospital remained in Bhuj to provide care while a replacement hospital was built.[34]
There were also 19 deaths inPakistan.[35] TheBadin-Tharparkar area recorded 12 deaths, 115 injuries, 1,989 collapsed homes and 43,643 damaged homes.[36] Liquefaction from the earthquake resulted insugarcane farms being flooded, affecting crops in the village of Kadhan.[29]
Four months after the earthquake theGujarat 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]
The housing policies focused on the removal of rubble, setting up temporary shelters, full reconstruction of damaged houses, and theretrofitting 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 toin-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]
The Environmental Planning Collaborative (EPC) was commissioned to provide a new city plan for the city ofBhuj.[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]
TheGovernment 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. TheWorld Bank andAsian Development Bank also provided loans worth $300 million and $500 million, respectively.[39]
Assistance was offered from many countries and organisations.
| Country | Relief Offered |
|---|---|
 Australia | US$550,000 |
 Bangladesh | 20,000 tons of rice and a 12-member medical team |
 Belgium | US$920,000 |
 Canada | US$2 million |
 China | US$602,000 |
 Greece | US$270,000 in financial aid relief supplies |
 Israel | 150 member emergency aid mission |
 Italy | US$2.3 million for emergency equipment |
 Japan | US$3 million in financial aid and US$1,14 million worth of relief supplies and equipments[42] |
 Kuwait | US$250,000 |
 Netherlands | US$2.5 million throughUNICEF |
 New Zealand | US$200,000 grant |
 Pakistan | 13 tons of relief material such as blankets and food |
 Syria | Medical and other relief supplies |
 Taiwan | US$100,000 |
 United Kingdom | £10 million |
 United States | Relief supplies up to US$5 million |
 United Arab Emirates | Relief material and supplies |
 Nepal | Relief materials and financial aid |
| Organisations | Relief Given |
|---|---|
| American Red Cross ofCentral New Jersey | Grant program of US$10,000 with all proceeds going to theAmerican Red Cross Indian Earthquake Relief Fund |
| CARE International | Relief Materials |
| HelpAge India | Relief materials to rural areas andMobile 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 aBritish 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. |
Smritivan, a memorial park and museum dedicated to victims of the earthquake was built on top ofBhujia Hill inBhuj,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 inAnjar is a memorial dedicated to 185 school children and 20 teachers who died during the earthquake.[46][47][48]
