Natural Disasters: Chile and Nepal Earthquakes

Chile Earthquake

• Primary Effects: Approximately 500 fatalities, 12,000 injuries, and 800,000 people affected. 220,000 homes, 4,500 schools, and numerous public buildings were destroyed. Significant damage to ports, hospitals, and the Port of Talcahuanao and Santiago airport. Loss of power, water, and communication networks in much of Chile.
• Estimated Cost: US$30 billion in damages.
• Secondary Effects: 1,500 km of roads were damaged, mainly due to landslides, isolating communities. Coastal towns were devastated by tsunamis. Fires broke out at a chemical plant near Santiago, requiring evacuation.

Nepal Earthquake

• Primary Effects: 9,000 fatalities, 20,000 injuries, and over 8 million people affected (approximately one-third of Nepal's population). 3 million people became homeless due to destroyed homes. Electricity, water, sanitation, and communication systems were severely affected.
• Needs: 1.4 million people required food, water, and shelter. 7,000 schools and numerous hospitals were destroyed. International airport became congested with aid/assistance. 50% of shops were destroyed, impacting food supplies.
• Estimated Cost: Over US$5 billion in damages.
• Secondary Effects: Ground shaking triggered landslides and avalanches, blocking roads, and hindering relief efforts. Mount Everest avalanches resulted in at least 19 deaths, the highest loss of life on the mountain. Landslides blocked off the Kali Gandaki River, approximately 140 km (90 miles) northwest of Kathmandu, necessitating evacuations due to potential flooding.

Earthquake Comparison (Chile vs Nepal)

• Wealth/Development: Chile is wealthier and more developed than Nepal, as evidenced by GDP and HDI rankings. This difference in wealth affected secondary effects of the earthquakes.
• Tsunami: The Chile earthquake triggered a tsunami due to its location offshore. The Nepal earthquake, occurring on land, did not.
• Affected Area: The Nepal earthquake affected a wider area than the Chile earthquake, causing secondary effects far from the epicenter.

Earthquake Activities

• Evidence of Development Difference: The lower development of Nepal compared to Chile is evident through infrastructure and disaster resilience capabilities.
• Vast Area Effect: Nepal's geological location within the Himalayas at a collision zone, contributed to the wider damage impact.
• Tsunami Trigger: Chile's earthquake occurred at a destructive plate margin offshore, triggering a tsunami.
• Secondary Impacts: Secondary effects of the earthquakes were significantly influenced by wealth and development levels of the affected areas.
• Tsunami Effects: Chilean earthquake-induced tsunami waves raced across the Pacific at speeds of up to 800 km/hour.