7 Riskiest Cities Vulnerable to Earthquake

BANGALORE: The world today has already witnessed major earthquakes that claimed hundreds and thousands of lives. It turns out more deadly if it strikes the densely populated urban areas. A nonprofit research group, GeoHazards International, with an aim to reduce suffering due to natural disasters, measured the lethal potential of seismic disasters facing small and large cities in the world. Some of the variables measured in the study include building frailty, potential for landslides and fires, and the rescue, firefighting and life-saving medical abilities of local authorities. So, as per the study, here are the world’s 7 most earthquake prone cities.

Kathmandu, Nepal: One of the capitals located on the highest area, Kathmandu is a densely-populated city with around 1 million people residing in the tallest mountains on the planet. This part of the Himalayas is seismically active, and as per the report compiled by the non-profit GeoHazards International, a resident of Kathmandu is two times more likely to be killed in an earthquake than citizens of any other cities mentioned in the survey.

Nepal’s National Society for Earthquake Technology estimates that a large-scale earthquake in mid-Nepal would displace over 1.8 million people, kill over 100,000 and injure 300,000. The buildings that loom over the roads and alleyways in this hill city are a chaotic mix of wood, brick and concrete. Additionally, building regulations are rarely enforced, and many of these homes are poorly made. Some of the buildings rest against their neighbors, some are held up with wooden props and the masonry in others is crumbling away. Many of these deaths and injuries will happen in places with a tightly-packed neighborhood.