:: Calamity ::

Date: January 26, 2001 (Republic Day)

Time: 8:46 AM (IST)

Magnitude: 6.9 on the Richter Scale

Epicenter: 23.6 North Latitude and 69.8 East Longitude 20 kilometers North East of Bhuj and 110 kilometers North-North East of Jamnagar in Rann of Kutch area of Gujarat, the western State of India.

The unprecedented Earthquake that rocked Gujarat on the 26th January 2001 morning, causing loss of several thousands of lives and extensive damage to the properties of the people. The suffering and devastation of unprecedented magnitude wrought by the Gujarat Earthquake call for relief and rehabilitation on a massive scale. However, the damage have been beyond description. Many houses were collapsed and damaged with the result people have lost all their belongings. Words fall short to describe the woes. The earthquake was felt widely over a major part of the country and caused extensive damage to property and loss of life in Bhuj and nearby areas. Millions of buildings damaged; many buildings have totally collapsed; power and water supply disrupted in Kutch.

Worst affected areas of Gujarat:

Kutch, Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Jamnagar