On 26 January 2001, a severe earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck terror into the people of the State of Gujrath. Multistorey rcc framed buildings collapsed like a pack of cards, trapping people under the falling debris. The capital city, Ahmedabad, towns in Bhuj district, and places like Surat and Jamnagar, suffered human casualties and property losses. It is reported that there were 50 000 deaths and thousands of seriously injured people. The district of Bhuj contains a large barren area known as 'Rhan of Kutch'. It contains saline water and sandy soil. It is included in Zone 5 in seismic maps of India and has the highest quake intensity. The epicentre of the earthquake was situated near the town of Bhuj. There is a history of earthquakes in this area, the last being at Anjar in 1956, measuring about 6.
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