Thursday, October 16, 2008

2005 Ruichang earthquake

The 2005 Ruichang earthquake was a moderate earthquake epicentered at 29.657°N, 115.717°E in Ruichang, Jiangxi, China, with its main tremor occurring at 8:49 am local time on Saturday 26 November, 2005, and aftershocks later being reported. Reports from different authorities of the earthquake's Richter scale magnitude ranged from 5.2 to 5.7.

At least fourteen people died, including five in Ruichang, seven in neighboring Jiujiang, and two across the river in Wuxue, Hubei. At least 370 people were injured, including twenty seriously so.

Hundreds of buildings were destroyed and thousands damaged. Residents temporarily fled homes, businesses, and even hospitals for fear of aftershocks. Local temperatures were mild at the time, around 10°C.

Shockwaves were felt as far away as Shangrao, Changsha, and Wuhan.

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