Afghanistan lives another tragedy after a strong earthquake that occurred on Sunday night. And estimates exceed 1000 dead.
At least three villages have become debris and many other settlements have houses that collapsed. But why are earthquakes in Afghanistan?
Why are so many earthquakes in Afghanistan?
Earthquakes occur when there is a sudden movement along the tectonic plates that make up the surface of the Earth. In places where the plates collide, rifts are created.
Afghanistan is very prone to earthquakes because it is on a series of faults at the meeting point of the Indian and Eurasian plate.
Only in the last two weeks, there have been 10 medium -sized earthquakes in Afghanistan and around 4 and above. It is noteworthy that only two other earthquakes over 5 Richter had occurred in the last week.
Why recent earthquakes were so deadly
The earthquake was the result of the conflict of the Indian and the Eurasian plaque. Its size was 6 Richter, according to the US Geological Survey.
This is equivalent to about 475,000 tonnes of TNT or 37 times the energy released from the atomic bomb that fell to Hiroshima, according to the US Emergency Management Service.
The vibrations were felt 500 kilometers in Pakistan and India. Tectonic plates do not collide immediately, but partially slide next to each other. The result is that the earthquakes in this area tend to be shallow, so the vibration is much closer to the surface. That is why the earthquake was extremely devastating, but also for some other reasons we will analyze below.
What other earthquakes have hit Afghanistan?
The last thirty years according to the UN. An earthquake in May 1998, in the provinces of Takhar and Badakshan in northern Afghanistan, killed about 4,000 people.
Nearly 100 villages and 16,000 houses were destroyed or damaged and 45,000 people were left homeless. An earthquake in February 1998, in the same area, had already killed more than 2,300 people.
Why earthquakes cause so much damage to Afghanistan
Japan and South America countries tend to have more earthquakes than Afghanistan. However, Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable, because the buildings there are not anti -seismic.
The houses are built of wood and bricks or weak concrete. Many damage from earthquakes in the mountains of Afghanistan also come from the landslides they cause. These can level houses in mountain villages and block rivers, causing extensive floods.
In addition, landslides often close or destroy the roads. This makes it difficult to transport rescue workers and equipment to remote mountainous areas.
In addition, due to the prevailing conditions in the country and geomorphology, rescue efforts are often hampered by hostile weather conditions, such as rain or snow, fog and excessive cold.
