On October 12, 1992, at 3.10 pm, a strong earthquake in Egypt, near Cairo, occurred. it was centered around 20 miles southwest of Cairo, which is a few miles away from the pyramid and the Sphinx on the Giza Plateau. Cairo is at least 250 miles away from nearest plate boundary -- the region in which the Earth's crust generates more earthquakes. This earthquake made the African Plate to pull apart from each other.
The magnitude of the event was 5.9 as registered on the Richter scale, which was a gauge of the energy released by an earthquake as measured by ground motion.
As a result, many buildings had toppled and deadly stampedes of panicked residents were caused. 370 people were killed, including over 100 trampled school children, and at least 3,300 people hurt. In Cairo, there were 127 people found dead and 2,139 injured. Whereas in Giza, which was to the south, 128 people were dead and 700 were hurt.
It has also badly damaged and destroyed 116 buildings throughout Egypt. Children who were in Cairo were killed while rushing from swaying schools, and many others were also trampled to death.
On hearing the news of the earthquake, the government called upon rescuers to dig out the survivors of the earthquake.
I think that we can minimize the damage done by such events by keeping an earthquake kit at home and making sure that our houses are structurally stable. If we are in our houses during in an earthquake, we should protect ourselves from falling objects and falling glass by hiding under a table that can cover us well. We should then evacuate the building immediately after the earhthquake has ended to go to an open space to get ready for aftershocks.
Websites :
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/13/world/earthquake-in-egypt-kills-370-and-injures-3300.html?pagewanted=1
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