Narrative
Full Description
Project narrative
On May 23, 2003, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced that it would offer emergency humanitarian aid worth RMB 5 million to the earthquake-hit Algeria. On that same day, the Chinese Government dispatched an earthquake rescue team of 30 personnel to Algeria. The team was headed by a deputy director of the China Seismological Bureau and it provided aid for the disaster victims. The team brought 3 search dogs and rescue equipment. On May 30, 2003, the team successfully accomplished their mission and returned to China. In addition to deploying personnel, the Chinese Government also donated materials including tents, blankets, medicine and water purifiers, totaling 1,665 pieces, weighing about 35.5 tons. The last of the supplies arrived in Algiers on June 11, 2003.
Staff comments
The 2003 Boumerdès earthquake occurred on May 21, 2003 at 19:44:21 local time in northern Algeria. The shock had a moment magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The epicentre of the earthquake was located near the town of Thénia in Boumerdès Province, approximately 60 km east of the capital Algiers. The quake was the strongest to hit Algeria in more than twenty years – since 1980, when a magnitude 7.1 earthquake resulted in at least 2,633 deaths. Approximately 2,266 people were killed, 10,261 injured, and 200,000 left homeless as a result of the earthquake. Reports indicate more than 1,243 buildings were completely or partially destroyed. Infrastructure was predictably damaged in Algiers, Boumerdès, Réghaïa and Thénia; roads in Algeria are generally of high quality, but many city streets and local roads were difficult to traverse because of debris from collapsed buildings. Overall, the Boumerdès Province was the hardest-hit region. In the Boumerdès Province, several cities were heavily damaged, with Thénia, Zemmouri, and Boumerdès, being the worst affected.