M7.7

2001 India Earthquake

Bhuj, Gujarat, India — January 26, 2001

The 2001 Gujarat (Bhuj) earthquake struck on India's Republic Day morning, killing over 20,000 people and destroying over 350,000 buildings. The city of Bhuj was almost completely destroyed. The earthquake triggered comprehensive reforms in India's earthquake engineering codes and disaster management systems.

Earthquake Facts

Magnitude

M7.7

Date

Jan 26, 2001

Depth

16 km

Deaths

20,085

Latitude

23.419°

Longitude

70.232°

Tsunami

No

Region

India

Tectonic Cause

Intraplate reverse fault earthquake in the Kutch rift zone, far from the Himalayan plate boundary. The Kutch region has a history of large intraplate earthquakes, including an M7.8 in 1819.

Aftermath in Pictures

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — open licenses (CC / Public Domain)

Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under open licenses. Attribution required where specified. Click any image to enlarge.

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