2008 Peloponnese earthquake
On the 8th of June, 2008, an earthquake struck north-western Greece, Peloponnese at 3.25 pm. The epicentre of the tremor was located about 32 kilometres southwest of the Greek port city of Patras, at a depth of ten kilometres.
The earthquake of June 8, 2008, was generated by stresses resulting from the motion of the small Aegean Sea plate southwest with respect to the Eurasia plate. The focal-mechanism of the earthquake of June 8 is consistent with the shock having been caused by strike-slip faulting similar to that occurring within the northeast-trending zones.
The earthquake was of magnitude 6.3 and was strongly felt in areas as far as Athens and parts of southern Italy. It killed two people, injured more than 220 and levelled dozens of homes, leaving at least 2,000 people homeless. By nightfall, six people remained hospitalised.
A man was killed by a falling pergola outside his home in Kato Ahaia, a village near the epicentre, while a woman slightly injured during the earthquake died of heart attack in the hospital later.
Frequent aftershocks rattled already frightened residents, and seismologists urged caution, particularly around buildings damaged in the initial quake. It was unlikely that a stronger quake would occur.
Military helicopters and transport planes, and a specialized Air Force rescue crew were placed on standby. Teams of rescuers from Balkan and Mediterranean countries who had just arrived in Greece for a disaster response exercise joined in rescue efforts.
The interior minister, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, dispatched rescue and recovery teams, the Red Cross and units of the army to assess the damage and the needs of survivors in the earthquake affected areas. With dozens of houses destroyed or severely damaged, the government said it would give $4,680 to anyone who had lost their primary home in the quake.
Reflection:
If the buildings were more stable, maybe the damage would be minimised. If people were better informed about such events, there will be lesser injuries and casualties.
Bibliography:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25044732/#storyContinued, extracted 2010-02-07
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Peloponnese_earthquake, extracted 2010-02-07
Assigned region - Western Europe
Country - Greece
Natural disaster - Earthquake
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
