EARTHQUAKES

Floods, cyclone, storm, drought, excessive rain, fire, lightning and earthquakes are natural calamities. Of all these natural calamities the earthquake is the most disastrous and strikes great terror in the hearts of its victims.

Sudden and violent shaking of a part of the earth's surface is called an earthquake. If the earthquake is mild and of moderate intensity there are mild tremors lasting only for a few seconds. It causes little or no damage. But a severe earthquake causes tremors of great intensity lasting for a few minutes and can cause great damage.

Earthquakes are caused from the cracking of rocks forming the earth's crust on account of some internal pressure or force.

An earthquake is a terrifying sight and a horrifying experience. With the rumblings of the first tremor, terror-stricken people rush out of their houses and shelters in great panic. Houses, dams and other structures are rocked and they tumble down like houses of cards. Those who are not alert and caught unawares are crushed under falling structures or are buried under the debris. Roads and bridges crack, railway lines are twisted and uprooted. Water pipes, electric lines and gas mains are damaged. Fire and floods are the other two great dangers accompanying a severe earthquake because of the damage caused to electric lines or gas mains and because of a breach in dams. Sometimes there may be volcanic eruption from which red-hot lava gushes out and totally destroys villages and cities in its way. In such a case thousands or even lakhs of people perish. There is colossal loss of life and property.

Earthquakes usually come without any prior notice or signal and cannot be predicted. Nor is there any way to prevent them. In spite of all the scientific inventions and discoveries, man is just like a helpless child in the face of this natural calamity. The recent earthquake in Armenia (Russia) which took a heavy toll of more than one lakh people demonstrates this fact.