2005 Ruichang earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Ruichang earthquake was a moderate earthquake
epicentered at 29.657°N, 115.717°E in Ruichang
, Jiangxi
, China
, with its main tremor occurring at 8:49 am local time (12:49 am GMT) on Saturday 26 November 2005, and aftershocks later being reported. Reports from different authorities of the earthquake's Richter scale magnitude ranged from 5.2 to 5.7.
At least fourteen people died, including five in Ruichang, seven in neighboring Jiujiang
, and two across the river in Wuxue
, Hubei
. At least 370 people were injured, including twenty seriously so.
Hundreds of buildings were destroyed and thousands damaged. Residents temporarily fled homes, businesses, and even hospitals for fear of aftershocks. Local temperatures were mild at the time, around 10°C.
Shockwaves were felt as far away as Shangrao
, Changsha, and Wuhan
.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
epicentered at 29.657°N, 115.717°E in Ruichang
Ruichang
Ruichang is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiujiang, in the north of China's Jiangxi province, along the Yangtze River.Ruichang suffered deaths and extensive damage from the 2005 Ruichang earthquake.-External links:*...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, with its main tremor occurring at 8:49 am local time (12:49 am GMT) on Saturday 26 November 2005, and aftershocks later being reported. Reports from different authorities of the earthquake's Richter scale magnitude ranged from 5.2 to 5.7.
At least fourteen people died, including five in Ruichang, seven in neighboring Jiujiang
Jiujiang
Jiujiang , formerly transliterated Kiukiang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, the largest one being Nanchang...
, and two across the river in Wuxue
Wuxue
Wuxue , formerly Guangji County , is a county-level city on the north shore of the Yangtze River in eastern Hubei province, China...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
. At least 370 people were injured, including twenty seriously so.
Hundreds of buildings were destroyed and thousands damaged. Residents temporarily fled homes, businesses, and even hospitals for fear of aftershocks. Local temperatures were mild at the time, around 10°C.
Shockwaves were felt as far away as Shangrao
Shangrao
Shangrao is a medium-sized prefecture-level city located in the northeast of China's Jiangxi province. According to the 2010 Census, Shangrao has a population of 6,579,714 inhabitants....
, Changsha, and Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
.
External links
- http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/usfwbf.htm
- http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1651945,00.html?gusrc=rss
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4472582.stm
- http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/27/stories/2005112703581200.htm