What happened
In the early morning of 26 April 1966, at 5:23 local time, an earthquake struck Tashkent. Its magnitude was moderate (about 5.2), but its focus was very shallow and directly beneath the city centre, so central neighbourhoods, especially old adobe and earth-brick houses, were badly damaged. Estimates of the number of people left homeless range from 100,000 to 300,000.
The main shock was followed by a long aftershock sequence: more than a thousand tremors were recorded from April 1966 to the end of 1969.
Rebuilding the city
After the earthquake Tashkent was rebuilt within a short time with the participation of the Union republics: new residential districts, wide streets and public buildings appeared. The Courage memorial commemorates the earthquake; its clock shows the time of the shock — 5:23.
Lessons
The Tashkent earthquake clearly showed how much the consequences depend on building structure and construction quality. Today buildings in seismic areas are designed to earthquake-resistant codes, and existing ones are inspected and strengthened where needed. Check your building's approximate vulnerability with the test.