1970 Gediz earthquake

7.2 magnitude earthquake in western Turkey

39°12′N 29°30′E / 39.2°N 29.5°E / 39.2; 29.5Areas affectedTurkeyMax. intensityMMI IX (Violent)[2]Casualties1,086 dead, 1,260 injured[1]

The 1970 Gediz earthquake (also known as the 1970 Kütahya-Gediz earthquake) struck western Turkey on 28 March at about 23:02 local time, with an estimated magnitude of 7.2 on the Ms scale.

The event killed 1,086 people, injured 1,260 people, and left many thousands homeless in Gediz, a district of Kütahya Province situated 98 km (61 mi) southeast of Kütahya.[1][3] Many people were burned alive as fires broke out from overturned stoves, and 9,452 buildings in the region were severely damaged or destroyed.[1]

The town of Gediz, home to repeated natural disasters like earthquakes and floods, was relocated following a government resolution soon after the destruction to a new place 7 km (4.3 mi) away on the road to Uşak under the name "Yeni Gediz" (literally: New Gediz). The residents moved in their newly built, earthquake-resistant homes. Neighboring towns and villages were also rebuilt at places with relative minimum earthquake risk.[1]

Other major earthquakes occurred in Gediz in 1866 and 1896, and on June 25, 1944, at 07:20 local time, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in Gediz, killing 20 people and damaging around 3,500 buildings.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Kütahya Gediz İlçesi-1970 Gediz Depremi" (in Turkish). Kültür Sanat. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  2. ^ Ambraseys, N. N. (1988). "Engineering seismology: Part I". Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics. 17 (1). Table IV. List of the larger shallow earthquakes (M,>5.9) in Turkey and neighbouring regions for the period 1899–1986. Bibcode:1988EESD...17....1A. doi:10.1002/eqe.4290170101. ISSN 0098-8847.
  3. ^ "Gediz" (in Turkish). Kütahya Tanıtım. Retrieved 17 February 2009.

External links

  • The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.
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  • Tonghai (7.1, Jan 4) †
  • Gediz (7.2, March 28) †
  • Ancash (7.9, May 31) †‡
  • Colombia (7.6, July 31)
  • New Guinea (7.0, Oct 31)
  • Peru–Ecuador (7.1, Dec 9) †
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‡ indicates the deadliest earthquake of the year
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