22 dead in earthquakes in Afghanistan

[Coventina]

Source: CNN

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A pair of moderate earthquakes struck Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 22 people and destroying 200 homes, an official said.

The quakes hit the Sherzad district of Nangarhar province, about 50 miles southeast of the capital, Kabul, district governor Said Rahman told CNN.

The first, just before 2 a.m. (5:27 p.m. EDT) registered at magnitude 5.5, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The second, centered a few miles away, struck about two hours later and measured magnitude 5.1.

The Afghan army has been deployed to help with rescue efforts, said Gen. Mohammed Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/17/afghanistan.quake/

[medeak]

1. we had a 6.0 a year ago with no injuries

are their homes made out of paper?

[WriteDown]

2. More like mud...

and loose stone.

[Tempest]

3. Nor do they have building requirements to protect from earthquakes

There's also the issue of the houses being built right on top of bedrock which leaves no buffer for movement.

[Coventina]

4. If they were paper, there'd be less injuries.

A building tactic used by the Japanese, btw.

[Egnever]

6. Wow is that really what spurred the paper buildings?

I always wondered what prompted that but it makes perfect sense.

[WriteDown]

8. Haha....

No. The reason that shoji were created was due to their light weight and mobility. Nothing to do with earthquakes. I build some screens now and again, but I cheat a little and use PVC instead of Washi.

[babydollhead]

5. can we help?

[gauguin57]

7. I was just looking at the Iris Seismic Monitor map ... lot of earthquakes around the world today.

http://www.iris.edu/seismon/

(today's earthquakes are the red circles)

[maxsolomon]

9. unfortunately, the 22 dead weren't those who stoned the women

marching in kabul.

[Coventina]

10. As Jesus said:

"The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike."

:-(