March, 1999

An earthquake struck the Garhwal area in Northern India, killing 100 people.  The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale.

The region hit is located in the Indian state of Utter Pradesh, close to the Himalayas mountain range.  The districts most affected were the Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts.

A Map of India.  Image Credit: CIA.

The center of the earthquake was found to be in Kumaon hill region.  The area is about 190 miles (300 kilometers) north of India's capital, New Delhi.

In some towns, every building was instantly demolished.  The earthquake destroyed a total of 156 houses.  In addition to the 100 killed, the earthquake injured another 250 people.

Indian seismological scientists reported that the earthquake was the region's largest in the century.

Organizations and the government were quick to respond to the disaster.  Twenty relief camps were immediately set up to house between 600 and 700 survivors.  India's Red Cross sent a team to assess the damage and relieve the victims, and the government also sent 100 experts to analyze the earthquake's effects.  The Indian Air Force also dispatched several helicopters to help the earthquake survivors.

Experts said the quake should be taken as a warning.  Shocks were felt as far away as New Delhi, which would cause a disaster for the country if demolished by an earthquake.