2005 Kashmir Earthquake

One early fall morning in 2005, an incredibly strong earthquake shook Pakistan and changed the fate of the country forever. At approximately 8:50 a.m. Pakistan Standard Time on October 8, 2005, a 7.6 M earthquake occurred in the Pakistan and India-administered region of Kashmir. The earthquake’s epicenter was located at 34.6 N, 73.0 E west-northwest of the city of Muzaffarabad ("Situation report...India," 2005). The Indian region of Kashmir is located between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. The collision between these two plates formed the Himalayan Mountain range and is commonly known for seismic activity (History.com Editors, 2009). At this plate boundary, Northern India is constantly being pushed up underneath the Himalayas creating one the earth’s most active hotspots within this mountain range. The surface rupture was the first for the Himalayan seismic zone and extended for about 75 km (Naranjo, 2008).

The Kashmir Earthquake of 2005 caused mass casualties for both human life and infrastructure. The greatest impact was felt in Northern India where Jammu and Kashmir suffered severely. Following the initial earthquake, 59 aftershocks above 5 M and three 6 M aftershocks were reported ("Situation report...India," 2005). This earthquake, in particular, caused many landslides which completely destroyed main roadways. This, in turn, caused immense issues for disaster relief efforts and first responder effectiveness. More than 80,000 people were killed, 100,000 injured, and 4 million were displaced and left homeless (History.com Editors, 2009). This earthquake occurred before a very harsh winter which caused increased effects and ultimately resulted in the death of nearly 10,000 displaced Kashmiris (Rogers, 2014). 

 

 This map shows the impacted areas and the fault lines surrounding the epicenter. I liked this picture because it does a great job of showing the exact impact zones. 

 

Simmon. "When the Earth Moved Kashmir." 2008. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/KashmirEarthquake

 

 This picture shows a portion of the damaged infrastructure in Kashmir. I used this picture because it shows how much damage the residential areas received. 

Khursheed, M. Reuters. http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953425_1953424_1953506,00.html

The Pakistan and Indian controlled region of Kashmir was not prepared for a natural disaster at this level of severity. This area was exceptionally vulnerable due to its weak government initiative and control. There was ongoing conflict in India, China, and Pakistan at this time which also added to the lack of preparedness in Kashmir. The region of Kashmir was also going through an extreme economic decline during this time due to a major decline in the tourism industry. Many of the regions and cities within Pakistan are severely impoverished which would also add to the vulnerability of this area. Kashmir demographics also played a large role in the vulnerability of the region. Central Asia was known for past indigenous populations. These people were highly in tune with “seismic culture” and the activity that took place in that area. As the demographics changed overtime and resulted in much younger populations, the lack of experience and preparedness was evident. During this crisis, very little international aid was offered to Pakistan. Kashmir received some help from the United States, Japan, Germany, and Italy, but received no help from France, Spain, or Austria. The German Red Cross offered to restore rural livelihood through the introduction of livestock programs (Rogers 2014).

 

 

This picture is showing a collapsed residential building in Kashmir. This picture is important because it shows the rubble that was left following the earthquake and the rescue efforts of the survivors. 

 

Agencies. "Oct 8 earthquake: Tragedy struck 12 years ago today." Geo News. https://www.geo.tv/latest/161658-october-8-earthquake-tragedy-struck-12-years-ago-today

 

 

This video shows the extent of the damage from the Kashmir Earthquake in Pakistan. In the video, you see helicopter footage of the damage over the landscape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy2fWN-hZmg 

References

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Kashmir earthquake of 2005". Encyclopedia

Britannica, n.d, https://www.britannica.com/event/Kashmir-earthquake-of-2005.

History.com Editors. “2005 Kashmir Earthquake.” History. A&E Television Networks, 2009,

https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/kashmir-earthquake

Naranjo, L. “When the Earth Moved Kashmir.” Earth Observatory, 2008, https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/KashmirEarthquake

Rogers, I. “2005 Kashmir Earthquake.” POLS499: Politics of Disaster, 2014, https://politicsofdisaster.wordpress.com/2005/10/08/2005-kashmir-earthquake/

“Situation report on earthquake in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of Northern India and 

         related relief measures - 19:00 Hrs 26 Oct 2005 - India.” ReliefWeb. OCHA, 2005,

https://reliefweb.int/report/india/situation-report-earthquake-jammu-and-kashmir-and-other-parts-northern-india-and-9.