Sichuan Earthquake, China 12th May 2008, 2:30pm Causes, primary & secondary effects, short term & long term responses

Location & Cause Indian Plate collides into Eurasian Plate (vel. c 50mm/yr) – destructive collision 12th May 2008, 2:30pm Epicentre was 90km north-west of Chengdu, Sichuan 7.9 Richter scale, tremors lasted 120 seconds 1.5km of surface faults were observed

The affected area KEY IDEA: Sichuan Province – this is predominantly a rural area. China is a vast country. It is argued that its government neglects its rural areas – NO warning for the people in Sichuan- led to a severely high death toll.

Primary Effects 70,000 dead, 20,000 missing, 400,000 injured 50 million people affected, 15 million evacuated 5 million buildings collapsed, 21 million damaged, 5 million homeless in Sichuan 8 schools were toppled

Secondary Effects: Fractured Dams 3,000 dams fractured threatening 700,000 people downstream

Secondary Effects: Quake Lakes

Secondary Effects: Economic Cost Economic loss estimated at US$86 billion

Short-Term Responses Government mobilised 80,000 troops, due to mountainous terrain some troops had to be parachuted in Troops used explosives and even missiles to blast channels to relieve the water pressure building up in Tangjiashan - the largest of the lakes caused by the earthquake and its aftershocks. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7404614.stm

Long-Term Responses 95 billion yuan given by Chinese government to relief fund Areas of Sichuan are still not redeveloped 29 billion yuan required for local economy to recover Media coverage in China and around the world was handled carefully so not to show China in a bad light in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics