Disaster Natural Earthquake Boumerdes 2003

Disaster Natural

Earthquake

Boumerdes 2003

disaster natural definition :

The definition of natural disasters is any catastrophic event that is caused by nature or the natural processes of the earth. The severity of a disaster is measured in lives lost, economic loss, and the ability of the population to rebuild. Events that occur in unpopulated areas are not considered disasters. So a flood on an uninhabited island would not count as a disaster, but a flood in a populated area is called a natural disaster.

All natural disasters cause loss in some way. Depending on the severity, lives can be lost in any number of disasters. Falling buildings or trees, freezing to death, being washed away, or heat stroke are just some of the deadly effects. Some disasters cause more loss of life than others, and population density affects the death count as well.

definition of earthquake :

A sudden movement of the earth's crust caused by the release of stress accumulated along geologic faults or byvolcanic activity. Also called seism, temblor.

(Geological Science) a sudden release of energy in the earth's crust or upper mantle, usually caused by movementalong a fault plane or by volcanic activity and resulting in the generation of seismic waves which can be destructive

Boumerdès earthquake 2003 : 

The 2003 Boumerdès earthquake occurred on May 21 at 19:44:21 local time in northern Algeria. The shock had a moment magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The epicentre of the earthquake was located in the town of Thénia in Boumerdès Province, approximately 60 km east of the capital Algiers. The quake was the strongest to hit Algeria in more than twenty years – since 1980, when a magnitude 7.1 earthquake resulted in at least 2,633 deaths.

Survival story from naturel disaster :

“It is not true,” Ben Salem kept saying to anyone he saw on the street. “It is not true. Maybe they weren’t at home during the earthquake. I’m sure they will be back. They have never left me alone before.”

Last week, Ben Salem went on a business trip to Paris. When he came back he realized that his wife, his two children and his mother had disappeared under the rubble of his home in Boumerdes, which was destroyed in last Wednesday’s earthquake. The disaster has left more than 2,000 people dead and 8,000 injured.

But Ben Salem was struggling to come to terms with what had happened. A dozen times he walked around what used to be his house, calling their names: “mother, Fathia, Omar, Nourddine…”, and then to the people who said that nobody could be left alive under the collapsed building: “liars, you are all liars.”

Hundreds of people like Ben Salem have been assisted by the Algerian Red Crescent Society (ARCS), which was mobilized immediately after the earthquake. “Three hundred rescue volunteers are involved in searching for survivors and distributing food, water and milk, as well as food and non food items,” said Abdelkader Boukhroufa, President of the ARCS.

Thousands of people have abandoned their homes, either because they were badly damaged or because they are afraid of a new earthquake. Naima’s home was not damaged. Even so, she prefers to stay in the street. In place of a roof over her head, she now has a parasol.

“How can I go back to a place where I lost most of my neighbours?” she asked. “The balconies of their homes remained, but the people were smashed under the rubble.”

“I will never go back even if they give me a million dollars. I prefer to live in a tent from now on,” she added.

After taking an active part in the initial response to the operation, the ARCS will now be responsible for assisting those people left without shelter. It will erect 600 tents to accommodate 6,000 people in 11 different sites.

“We will be providing shelter, blankets, food, psychological support and environmental hygiene in order to prevent the outbreak of disease,” Boukhroufa explained. “If needed, 2,000 volunteers will be mobilised to run the future camps.”

The camps are expected to be operational for a six-month transitional stage, ahead of the construction of new homes.

To cope with the needs in an effective way, the ARCS has appointed intervention teams and local committees to coordinate and organize the operation in five of the most affected sites: Algiers, Rouiba, Boumerdas, Thenia and Bourdznail.

“The people are traumatised, scared and lost,” said Fateh Khallab, a volunteer, who adds that their faith is sustaining them. A natural disaster, it seems, is easier to take than a man-made one. “It is a test from God,” Fateh said.

Ben Salem was admitted to hospital after being diagnosed with severe depression. He did not know if staying alive was a gift or a curse.