What was the cause of the Sichuan earthquake?

The quake was caused by the collision of the Indian-Australian and Eurasian plates along the 155-mile- (249-km-) long Longmenshan Fault, a thrust fault in which the stresses produced by the northward-moving Indian-Australian plate shifted a portion of the Plateau of Tibet eastward.

How did the Sichuan earthquake happen 2008?

The earthquake occurred as the result of motion on a northeast striking reverse fault or thrust fault on the northwestern margin of the Sichuan Basin. The earthquake’s epicenter and focal-mechanism are consistent with it having occurred as the result of movement on the Longmenshan Fault or a tectonically related fault.

What were the effects of the Sichuan earthquake?

Some areas were cut off by landslides and building collapses left rubble everywhere. In Shifang, chemical plants collapsed killing hundreds and releasing toxic ammonia. Power and water supplies were cut and flooding occurred because landslides had blocked rivers.

How did the Sichuan earthquake affect the environment?

In addition, fires, gas leaks and water pollution are the environmental problem after the Sichuan earthquake. Highways, the earthquake caused landslides, avalanches and other secondary disasters which resulting the roads in the disaster areas and the infrastructure severely damaged and enormous loss.

What was the cause of the earthquake in Sichuan?

The earthquakes in Sichuan ultimately result from the collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, according to the USGS. As India drives northward into Asia, it forces the Tibetan Plateau out of its way, eastward into China. The geologic setting of the Sichuan Basin also worsens earthquake damage.

Where was the earthquake in China in 2008?

Sichuan earthquake of 2008. Sichuan earthquake of 2008, also called Wenchuan earthquake or Great Wenchuan Earthquake, Chinese Wenchuan dizhen or Wenchuan Da Dizhen, massive and enormously devastating earthquake that occurred in the mountainous central region of Sichuan province in southwestern China on May 12, 2008.

How many people died in the earthquake in China?

Sichuan earthquake killed more than 5,000 pupils, says China. The overall death toll in the May 12 quake was unchanged at 68,712. Almost 18,000 people are still listed as missing, the head of Sichuan civil affairs department, Huang Mingquan, said in the provincial capital of Chengdu.

Who was the girl killed in the Sichuan earthquake?

Liu Xiaoying, whose 12-year-old daughter was killed when the three-storey Fuxin No 2 primary school collapsed, said she was sure the toll was much higher. “I hope the investigation will continue and that the people responsible will be seriously punished,” she said.