Resources: Selection of photocopied articles from newspapers at the time of the earthquake and in the immediate weeks following the event.
Outline map of India: need to mark on the following cities, using an Atlas:
THE BEST SITE FOR DETAILS ON GUJARAT is the RADIX site.
An earthquake, measuring between 6.9 and 7.9 on the Richter scale, struck the State of Gujarat in western India. The epicentre of the earthquake was located 50km north east of the town of Bhuj, which is 240km north east of Ahmedabad. The impact of the earthquake was felt in Delhi, Bombay, Jaipur, Chennai and in the town of Pondicherry in south-east India as well as in neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. It is impossible to tell how many people have been killed but estimates range from 30,000 to 100,000. Local press reported 75,000 people still 'under rubble' and 33,000 injured. Tens of thousands of people have been left homeless. It is reported that the figure is as high as 500,000 people in the town of Bhuj alone where 95% of buildings are estimated to be uninhabitable. Aftershocks are still being felt throughout Gujarat and many people, particularly residents of high rise blocks, are sleeping out on the streets. There has been mass migration of people from Bhuj to Ahmedabad seeking medical treatment.
Effect on Children
Children are amongst the most vulnerable following the earthquake. Many have been separated from their parents or have lost both parents in the disaster. The priority areas for relief for children and their families are for shelter, water and sanitation:- Bhuj has been suffering from drought and had no water supplies before the earthquake hit. With so many homeless and temperatures of only 8 degrees at night, shelter is urgently needed.
Key Issues Affecting Children
QUESTIONS
1. Which plate(s) were involved in the Gujarat earthquake ?
2. What was the strength of the quake on the Richter scale ?
3. Outline the damage that was caused under the following headings:
CASUALTIES
BUILDINGS / HOMELESS
INFRASTRUCTURE
NON-PHYSICAL DAMAGE
3. What were the immediate Aid requirements in the aftermath of the earthquake ?
4. What would be the longer term needs of the local people ?
5. Why might the effects of the earthquake have been greater in India than they might have been in an MEDC ?
6. How might building design have contributed to the number of deaths and injuries ?
The best overall resource is the BBC's in depth coverage, which can be reached from HERE. They have archived details on both natural disasters over the last 5 or 6 years since the website has been developed.
Use the links from this page to build up a picture of the effects of the earthquake. Take the sheet and try to put one piece of information gained from the website into each box. These will be grouped later to form a display on the earthquake.
Since producing this page, I have come across a similar exercise produced by Thornes to accompany their CUT, PASTE and SURF book. By clicking on the link you'll see some other links, including one to the GAVAD site. This Indian site has loads of pictures of the aftermath of the earthquake, many of which are fairly gruesome, so CAUTION IS ADVISED, and I would advise against using with younger groups.