Algeria earthquake 'kills four'

[IndianaGreen]

Algeria earthquake 'kills four'

Last Updated: Tuesday, 21 March 2006, 01:43 GMT

An earthquake measuring 5.0 has killed at least four people and injured 36 others in Algeria, reports say.

However, one eyewitness said that seven people had been killed, Algerian radio reported in its evening bulletin.

Some 30 houses are said to have collapsed in the town of Laalam in the province of Bejaia, about 300km (190 miles) east of the capital, Algiers.

The earthquake struck at 2044 (1944 GMT), the radio reported, adding that rescue operations were under way.

The tremor's epicentre was located near the town of Kherrata, between the cities of Bejaia and Setif, and measured magnitude 5.0, according to the US Geological Survey.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4827494.stm

[Ediacara]

1. The USGS page

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/uskmbm.php

Magnitude 5.0 - NORTHERN ALGERIA

2006 March 20 19:44:24 UTC

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Where can I find...?
Earthquake Details
Magnitude 5.0 (Moderate)
# Date-Time Monday, March 20, 2006 at 19:44:24 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
# Monday, March 20, 2006 at 8:44:24 PM
= local time at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 36.659°N, 5.322°E
Depth 5.6 km (3.5 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region NORTHERN ALGERIA
Distances 55 km (35 miles) N of Setif, Algeria
120 km (75 miles) WNW of Constantine, Algeria
145 km (90 miles) W of Skikda, Algeria
205 km (125 miles) E of ALGIERS, Algeria
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 8.5 km (5.3 miles); depth +/- 29.1 km (18.1 miles)
Parameters Nst= 52, Nph= 52, Dmin=475.1 km, Rmss=1.08 sec, Gp= 40°,
M-type=body magnitude (Mb), Version=6
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID uskmbm

[IndianaGreen]

2. I wonder why is it they have casualties on a 5.0?

What sort of housing they have that can collapse on a moderate quake, or perhaps the soil liquifies easily during a quake.