December 27, 2003
The destruction of Bam
http://www.sacredsites.com/december2001pages/bam.htm
See the world while you still can.
ADDENDUM: When studying in Italy years ago, a Sicilian friend remarked how maddening it was to see the different results when earthquakes hit places like California or Japan and places like southern Italy. Minor damage in the former, disaster in the latter -- all due to building codes, and their enforcement.
More before and after pictures here and here.
AND MORE LINKS over at Instapundit, including this report that suggests that much of the damage to the old citadel was to the parts that were reconstructed over the past 50 years. But what does this say, if the remains of the original mud brick structure withstood the earthquake, and the new work did not?
AND another overview from Newsday.
Posted by David on December 27, 2003 12:35 PM
Why label your post "the destruction of Bam". The page says "Intensive restoration work began in 1953 and continues today.". Seems like things are going good there, or is the resoration doing the damage?
Posted by: gunner on December 27, 2003 7:22 PM
Just returned from another blog who had mentioned the earthquake. Doh!! I do not watch TV so a bit out of the loop most of the time.
Posted by: gunner on December 27, 2003 7:33 PM
Iranian earthquakes since 1909 with 1,000 or more deaths:
Date ... Deaths ... Magnitude
Jan 23, 1909 ... 5,500 ... 7.3
May 25, 1923 ... 2,200 ... 5.7
May 1, 1929 ... 3,300 ... 7.4
May 6, 1930 ... 2,500 ... 7.2
Nov 27, 1945 ... 4,000 ... 8.2
Jul 2, 1957 ... 1,200 ... 7.4
Dec 13, 1957 ... 1,130 ... 7.3
Sep 1, 1962 ... 12,230 ... 7.3
Aug 31, 1968 ... 12-20,000 ... 7.3
Apr 10, 1972 ... 5,054 ... 7.1
Nov 24, 1976 ... 5,000 ... 7.3
Sep 16, 1978 ... 15,000 ... 7.8
Jun 11, 1981 ... 3,000 ... 6.9
Jul 28, 1981 ... 1,500 ... 7.3
Jun 20, 1990 ... 40-50,000 ... 7.7
May 10, 1997 ... 1,560 ... 7.5
Figures taken from the United States Geological Survey.
Including the 25,000 or more from yesterday's quake, approximately 140-158,000 Iranians have died in the last 94 years (not including those killed in smaller earthquakes).
In contrast, large and small earthquakes in the United States since 1811 have killed approximately 4000 people.
Posted by: Peter Shriner on December 27, 2003 7:58 PM
gmail.com