To understand the impact of

earthquakes on people in
MEDCs and LEDCs

Starter
What is in my head?
1 They are caused !y tectonic forces" #1$ points
% They take place on plate !oundaries" #& points
' They are measured usin( a seismo(raph" #) points
* They spread out from the focus" #* points
+ They are a type of ,a-e" #% points

The L. earthquake /S. 10111122*
. hu(e earthquake has rocked Los .n(eles3 killin( more than %$ people" The
earthquake3 ,hich measured )") on the 4ichter scale and lasted for *$
seconds3 struck at $*'1 local time" More than 13$$$ people ha-e !een
in5ured and the death toll is e6pected to rise as rescuers continue to pull
!odies from
collapsed !uildin(s"
The airport has !een closed due to a lack of po,er and doctors are ha-in( to
perform sur(ery in the open air !ecause hospital !uildin(s are se-erely dama(ed"
The area ,orst hit is reported to ha-e !een the San 7ernando 8alley ,here the quake is likely to ha-e affected
up to three million people" Los .n(eles emer(ency ser-ices are stretched to the limit and usin( heat detectin(
cameras and listenin( equipment to trace si(ns of life !eneath the ru!!le" E6perts are ,arnin( of potential
aftershocks and police ha-e issued a statement ,arnin( of isolated cases of lootin("
The final num!er of dead ,as )$" The num!er of in5ured ,as 030$0 and more than +3$$$ !uildin(s ,ere
deemed to !e unsafe" 4epairin( the dama(e to the city cost around 9'$ !illion" The earthquake ,as felt as
far south as San Die(o %$$km a,ay and as far north as Las 8e(as3 **$km to the north east" :resident Clinton
-isited the area in the ,eek follo,in( the earthquake and immediately asked Con(ress to raise 9)") !illion
for an emer(ency relief fund"

;u5arat Earthquake < =ndia %)111%$$1
. massi-e earthquake has struck ,estern =ndia and parts of :akistan3 killin( many
thousands of people" The death toll is e6pected to rise quickly as rescue teams
flood into the ,orst>affected to,ns < ?hu53 in the state of ;u5arat3 and the near!y
city of .hmeda!ad" =ndian officials say more than %3$$$ !odies ha-e !een
reco-ered so far" Thousands more are still thou(ht to !e trapped inside collapsed
!uildin(s3 includin( some *$$ children inside a school !uildin( in ?hu53 near the
epicentre"
7loodli(hts ,ere set up as ni(ht fell to help rescuers usin( cro,!ars and their !are hands to search throu(h the
ru!!le" 8olunteers3 friends and nei(h!ours 5oined them to di( ,ith ,hate-er tools they could find" Many
old !uildin(s suscepti!le to earthquake dama(e" The @ome Minister of ;u5arat3 @aren :andya3 said people had
!een told to e-acuate old !uildin(s and those ,hich ha-e de-eloped cracks" Local authorities said that (o-ernment
!uildin(s ,ere constructed to ,ithstand earthquakes !ut most pri-ate !uildin(s ,ere not"
The quake struck at a!out $&+$ local time #$'%$ ;MT" =t ,as a pu!lic holiday3 and many people ,ere out on
4epu!lic Day parades or still at home" Medical facilities are in crisis3 ,ith many hospitals dama(ed !y the quake
and others o-er,helmed !y the demand for treatment" Thousands of people camped outside the air force hospital
in ?hu5 ,aitin( for treatment" .t another hospital in the city3 doctors ,ere forced to treat patients on the street"
The quake ,as measured at a ma(nitude of !et,een )"2 and 0"23 and ,as felt as far a,ay as ?an(ladesh"
The death toll in the ;u5arat earthquake e-entually rose to %+3$$$" . million people ,ere left homeless"
=n the aftermath there ,as an(ry criticism from those in ur!an areas that the authorities failed them" Most
aid a(encies had concentrated on dama(ed rural -illa(es ,here it ,as easier to reconstruct houses"
. year later many ,ere still li-in( in tents and shelters in primiti-e conditions ,ith little si(n of dama(ed houses
!ein( rede-eloped" Millions of pounds in emer(ency aid ,ere raised all o-er the ,orld to help re!uild communities
,ith the help of international a(encies" ?ut in %$$% the Disasters Emer(ency Committee pu!lished a report ,hich
,as critical of /A aid a(encies in the aftermath of the earthquake in ;u5arat"

.cti-ity L. > /S. ;u5arat > =ndia
What are the facts
fi(ures and details?
What ,ords spran( to mind
,hen you sa, this?
@o, did you feel ,hen you
read it?
What are the pro!lems?
@o, many ,ere killed and
in5ured?
What are the positi-e
outcomes?
@o, did it impro-e in the future?
What are the su((estions for the
future? What ideas do you ha-e?
What are the differences !et,een
the t,o earthquakes?
What are the similarities?

.cti-ity 1B /se the information from the pre-ious slides to complete the ta!le !elo,"
This ,ill help you to complete a piece of e6tended ,ritin("

.cti-ity %B Descri!e the -ariations in the impact of earthquakes on people in
MEDCs
Use the writing frame below, and your table, to complete the question above.
There are many similarities and differences in the impact of earthquakes on people in
MEDCs and LEDCs
There are many similarities !et,een C
7irst of allC
SecondlyC
.lsoC
7urthermoreC
@o,e-er there are many differences" 7irst of allC
.lsoC
7urthermoreC
7inallyC
.cti-ity 'B Which country ,as !etter prepared for the earthquake? Why?

:lenary
1 What does this sho,?
% Which instrument ,as used?
' What are they (oin( to do ne6t?
* What mi(ht happen to them if they do not (et help?