Chinese Government dispatches experts to advise on reconstruction planning after 2003 Boumerdès earthquake (Linked to Project ID#14)

In July 2003, the Chinese Government dispatched a team of reconstruction planning experts to Algeria to analyze the damage caused by the 2003 Boumerdès earthquake. On July 6, 2003, the expert team arrived in Algiers. Under the arrangement of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning of Algeria, experts conducted a field visit to the epicenter. The team was to advise the Government of Algeria on the best course of action to ensure a speedy recovery. On July 26, 2003, the team returned to China.

Additional details

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.

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