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1970 Gediz earthquake

Coordinates: 39°12′N 29°30′E / 39.2°N 29.5°E / 39.2; 29.5
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1970 Gediz earthquake
1970 Gediz earthquake is located in Turkey
1970 Gediz earthquake
UTC time1970-03-28 21:02:24
ISC event798506
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local date28 March 1970 (1970-03-28)[1]
Local time23:02:24
Magnitude7.2 Mw
Depth17.7 km
Epicenter39°12′N 29°30′E / 39.2°N 29.5°E / 39.2; 29.5
Areas affectedTurkey
Max. intensityMMI IX (Violent)[2]
Casualties1,086 dead, 1,260 injured[1]

The 1970 Gediz earthquake (also known as the 1970 Kütahya-Gediz earthquake) struck western Turkey on 28 March at about 23:02 local time with an estimated magnitude of 7.2 on the Mw scale.[3]

Gediz, a district of Kütahya Province situated 98km (81mi) southeast of Kütahya, was a town that experienced repeated natural disasters including earthquakes and floods. It was relocated following a government resolution soon after the destruction to a new location that was 7 km (4.3 mi) away on the road to Uşak with the new name of Yeni Gediz (English: New Gediz).

The residents moved in their newly built, earthquake-resistant homes. Neighboring towns and villages were also rebuilt at places with relative minimum earthquake risk.[1]

Other major earthquakes occurred in Gediz in 1866 and 1896, and on June 25, 1944, at 07:20 local time, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in Gediz, killing 20 people and damaging around 3,500 buildings.[1]

Damage and casualties

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The earthquake killed 1,086 people, injured 1,260 people, and left many thousands homeless in Gediz.[1][4] Many people were burned alive as fires broke out from overturned stoves, and 9,452 buildings in the region were severely damaged or destroyed.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Kütahya Gediz İlçesi-1970 Gediz Depremi" (in Turkish). Kültür Sanat. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  2. ^ Ambraseys, N. N. (1988). "Engineering seismology: Part I". Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics. 17 (1). Table IV. List of the larger shallow earthquakes (M,>5.9) in Turkey and neighbouring regions for the period 1899–1986. Bibcode:1988EESD...17....1A. doi:10.1002/eqe.4290170101. ISSN 0098-8847.
  3. ^ ANSS. "M 7.2 - 19 km NE of Gediz, Turkey 1970". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
  4. ^ "Gediz" (in Turkish). Kütahya Tanıtım. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
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