Earthquake LEDC case study ~ Kashmir October 2005
1. Produce a factfile about this earthquake using the information below.
Organise your work with appropriate headings eg. LOCATION/RESPONSES etc.
 Kashmir lies at collision of Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates
 Occurred on a Saturday – a normal school day
 Magnitude 7.6 – 7.8 Richter Scale
 At least 106,000 injured
 Focus – 26kms below surface
 Damage widespread – Pakistan, Afghanistan, Northern India
 Worst hit area Pakistan-administered Kashmir
 Islamabad and Karachi experienced aftershock of 4.6
 By 20 October aid had not reached over 120,000 survivors
 147 aftershocks registered in first day after quake
 Confirmed death toll 73,276 (by November)
 Many students trapped under collapsed school buildings
 Occurred during Ramadam so many people were trapped at home (taking nap after pre-
dawn meal)
 Entire towns and villages wiped out
 60% of buildings in urban areas were UNREINFORCED
 30,000+ died in Muzaffarabad (close to epicentre)
 Pakistani people (from overseas as well) donated a huge amount of relief supplies,
money, goods and volunteer work
 Landslides buried entire villages and roads
 Karakoram Highway block hindering relief efforts
 Pakistan airlines offered free delivery of goods
 Heavy equipment needed to clear roads
 Many rescuers picking over rubble with bare hands and pickaxes
 5 crossing points opened between India and Pakistan in Kashmir– allowed flow of relief
goods and for families to meet relatives
 Many areas without power, adequate food or water
 A team of New York paramedics travelled to remote villages and treated over 200
patients a day
 Victims at risk of exposure to cold weather due to high altitude and approaching winter
 3 British surgeons went to help in a field hospital
 Pakistani army flew supplies in by helicopter
 10th October UN appeal for US$272 million
 UN warned that 2.5million had been left homeless
 Some mujahideen fighters put aside weapons to help with rescue
 A UK charity set up relief camps in all major cities of northern Kashmir
 Charities distributed tents, food supplies, clothing and shelter
 One child was rescued more than 100 hours after the quake
 Emergency shelter in Islamabad for family tracing
 Overseas aid sent eg. food, medical supplies, tents, blankets, rescue equipment,
helicopters, rescue dogs

www.guardian.co.uk/flash/pakistan_quake_oct2005
2. Chose the FIVE factors that you think are most significant in contributing to the high
death toll