Disaster Daily

In October 12^th 1992, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Cairo, capital of Egypt. It occurred at 3.10pm (local time) and lasted 20 seconds. The quake was centered about 20 miles southwest of Cairo, a few miles away from the pyramids and the Sphinx on the Giza Plateau. Luckily, major monuments survived the quake’s impact. The crustal plates linked to the event were the Arabian and Eurasian plates.

The quake had caused severe damage. Leaving at least 520 people dead and 10,000 injured. People, homeless and helpless, were weeping and dazing, thronged Cairo’s streets after the incident. It was reported that 116 buildings had been destroyed or badly damaged throughout Egypt. In addition, 75 apartments in Heliopolis collapsed into a heap of crushed concrete and twisted steel. Two large limestone statues among 100,000 pieces of display were also damaged in The Egyptian Museum.

An estimated 5004 homes had been destroyed nationwide. The Egyptian authorities were working hard to help the victims of the deadly earthquake. More than 700 families had been placed in apartments in a new satellite city outside Cairo. Arab and Western nations had flown in medicine, blankets, tents and rescue teams. The Government had also pledged to give about US$1,500, to families that lost a member in the earthquake.

There are many ways to minimize the damages of earthquake. An example is to locate TV’s or other heavy objects that can topple and cause serious injuries on floor level or by strapping them to walls. Being prepared with emergency supplies can also have great effect in surviving an earthquake. Besides, we can construct buildings in earthquake prone areas that meet higher standards to resist damage and to withstand seismic shock. Most importantly, the society’s education is the best tool to minimize the damages of earthquakes.

By: Loke Sau Ching (21)
1 Purity

Websites

Chris Hedges, http://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/18/weekinreview/oct-11-17-cairo-earthquake-buildings-fall-easily-bureaucracy-s-barriers-don-t.html?pagewanted=1 , extracted 20-02-2010

New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/13/world/earthquake-in-egypt-kills-370-and-injures-3300.html?pagewanted=1, extracted 20-02-2010

Chris Hedges, http://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/21/world/cairo-journal-after-the-earthquake-a-rumbling-of-discontent.html?pagewanted=1, extracted 20-02-2010

http://www.crustal.ucsb.edu/outreach/faq.php, extracted 24-02-2010

S. R. Moustafa and Hiroshi Takenaka, http://www.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/web_j/hapyo/04/p32.pdf, extracted 24-02-2010