The 2003 Bam earthquake was a major earthquake that struck Bam & the surrounding kerman province in southeastern Iran. This earthquake happened at 1.56
a.m utc (5.26 a.m iran standard time) on 26 december 2003.
a.m utc (5.26 a.m iran standard time) on 26 december 2003.
An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip of fault.the crustal plate movements linked to this event is its epicenter that has been estimated at 35.74N and 51.46E (IGTU) up to now,the following stations have recorded the strong motion due to this event
The most widely accepted estimated magnitude of this major earthquake was a moment magnitude (Mw) of 6.6 on the ritcher scale.
The impact of this event was large.This major earthquake killed about 26,271 people and injuring another 30,000 people. The extent of damage caused was large due to the fact that the city chiefly consisted of mud brick buildings that did not comply with earthquake regulations set in Iran in 1989. Furthermore, at the time that the earthquake happened, many people were indoors and asleep.
After this major earthquake, the Iranian government took immediate action. based on population control theories to eliminate problems that existed with the old city, they began to plan a new city. planning the new city took 6 months and caused significant complaints against the central and local government by the earthquake survivors. however, government in Tehran has continued its plans. currently, the city is being rebuilt. the citadel is being rebuilt with specialist care from the ministry of culture and from japanese universities. the earthquake was an extreme tragedy.it stunted the growth of bam as a city. especially as about half of the city's residdents had died and most of the remider injured. costs of the earthquake shot up to between 700,000,000 and 1,000,000,000 U.S dollars.
stopping these events from happening is impossible. however, minimising damages from such events is possible.
- build buildings with materials that are strong
- anchor large equipment properly
- brace cripple walls
- restrain desktop computers and appliances
- install latches on drawers and cabinet doors
- mount framed pictures and mirrors securely
Although this few things may not really prevent any injuries, at least it will help in reducing the amount of injuries and deaths.
