2009 Bhutan earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Bhutan earthquake was a 6.1 magnitude
earthquake that occurred at 14:53 local time, 08:53 UTC, on September 21, 2009 in the eastern region of Bhutan
. The epicenter was situated at 180 kilometres (111.8 mi) east of the capital Thimphu
, in Mongar District
. However, Bangladesh
and India
also felt it, with buildings in Guwahati
, Assam
, cracking up. The tremors were felt as far as Tibet
.
At least eleven people are reported to have been killed—seven in Bhutan, four in India. The death toll, initially ten, increased when one more died in the night. At least fifteen were wounded. Many of the deaths in Bhutan came about when their houses fell in on top of them. The Indians were construction workers whose road fell through.
One businessman said the earthquake happened as shopping was underway for the Blessed Rainy Day
ceremony of Buddhism
. Another inhabitant said it "made the surrounding hills look like they were throwing up dust" and that "the road was suddenly filled with boulders and mud". Thousands are living outdoors as a result. Children were crushed under structures as they caved in. Roads were blocked but these were cleaned up relatively quickly. Monasteries were also struck. People ran for their lives out of their homes.
An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale was heard in Myanmar and the northeast India
n states of Assam
, Arunachal Pradesh
, Nagaland
and Manipur
and the following day.
Jigme Thinley said the earthquake was "one of the biggest disasters in recent times". He also said the length of the earthquake (95 seconds) was "very long". He and his home minister have embarked on a visit to the region.
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
earthquake that occurred at 14:53 local time, 08:53 UTC, on September 21, 2009 in the eastern region of Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. The epicenter was situated at 180 kilometres (111.8 mi) east of the capital Thimphu
Thimphu
Thimphu also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961...
, in Mongar District
Mongar District
Mongar District is one of the 20 dzongkhags comprising Bhutan. Mongar is the fastest-developing dzongkhag in eastern Bhutan. A regional hospital has been constructed and the region is bustling with many economic activities. Mongar is noted for its lemon grass, a plant that can be used to produce...
. However, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
also felt it, with buildings in Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
, Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, cracking up. The tremors were felt as far as Tibet
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
.
At least eleven people are reported to have been killed—seven in Bhutan, four in India. The death toll, initially ten, increased when one more died in the night. At least fifteen were wounded. Many of the deaths in Bhutan came about when their houses fell in on top of them. The Indians were construction workers whose road fell through.
One businessman said the earthquake happened as shopping was underway for the Blessed Rainy Day
Blessed Rainy Day
Blessed Rainy Day is the holiday marking the end of the monsoon season in Bhutan. On this day all natural water resources in the country are considered to be sanctifying and citizens are encouraged to take an outdoor bath to be cleansed of "bad deeds, obstructions and defilements" and accumulated...
ceremony of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. Another inhabitant said it "made the surrounding hills look like they were throwing up dust" and that "the road was suddenly filled with boulders and mud". Thousands are living outdoors as a result. Children were crushed under structures as they caved in. Roads were blocked but these were cleaned up relatively quickly. Monasteries were also struck. People ran for their lives out of their homes.
Aftershocks
There were at least seven aftershocks.An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale was heard in Myanmar and the northeast India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n states of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
, Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
and Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
and the following day.
Reaction
Prime Minister of BhutanBhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
Jigme Thinley said the earthquake was "one of the biggest disasters in recent times". He also said the length of the earthquake (95 seconds) was "very long". He and his home minister have embarked on a visit to the region.