Sichuan Earthquake, China, 2008

Sichuan, in the SE of China, which is an NIC. A quick breakdown with easy to digest facts you can insert into any essay to support your points.

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  • Created by: Jessica
  • Created on: 09-06-14 12:37

Sichuan Earthquake, China, 2008

Causes

  • 7.9 magnitude earthquake caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plate on the Longmenshan fault line.
  • Epicentre was 11.8miles below the surface.
  • Sichuan is in the South East of China.
  • The buildings were not deemed earthquake proof before the tectonic activity.

Effects

  • 69,000 dead.
  • 18,000 missing.
  • 374,000 injured.
  • 5 million homeless and unemployed.
  • 80% of rural buildings collapsed. This was 5 million in total, including many schools. Troops were brought in to move survivors from the rubble. Due to the rural situation of Sichuan, many had to be parachuted in. 20 helicopters were assigned to help with rescue and relief efforts.
  • Two chemical plants exploded in Shifang, releasing a huge toxic cloud.
  • Over £100million was donated by the Red Cross in the fortnight after the earthquake: most of this was donated to help the running of camps. As lots of Chinese money had been invested in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there was very little to spare in the clean up efforts.
  • Agriculture was the main economic employment for the region. Prices of pork and grain began to rise as there simply wasn't enough to go around after the disruption to grazing land and fields.
  • Sichuan was very naturally beautiful and so attracted many tourists. After the earthquake, many lost interest and so a substantial economic income for the region was lost.

Overall summary

The effects of the Sichuan earthquake meant that many lives were lost due to the collapse of buildings. The rural village had a primary income from a combination of agriculture and tourism, both of which suffered drastically in the long term due to the effects of the earthquake. The rural area also didn't help as it was difficult to get aid workers and troops in to help evacuate survivors from collapsed buildings: the longer people remain trapped under rubble, the less chance there is of survival. The lack of earthquake proofing also contributed to the fact that 80% of buildings collapsed. As China is a NIC, there was very little aid money to spare due to the cost implications of the 2008 Olympic Games, which were held in the capital, Beijing. All these factors contributed to the high death and injury total.

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