Chile and Nepal Earthquakes

• How do Nepal and Chile differ in terms of wealth?

  Chile has a higher GDP and level of development compared to Nepal. Chile’s GDP is the 38th highest in the world whereas Nepal’s GDP is 109th in the world.
• When was the Chile Earthquake?

  17th February 2010.
• What was the magnitude of the Chile earthquake?

  8.8 on the Richter scale
• When was the Nepal earthquake?

  25th April 2015
• What was the magnitude of the Nepal earthquake?

  7.9 on the Richter scale
• How many people died in the Chile earthquake?

  500
• How many people were injured in the Chile earthquake?

  12,000
• Overall, how many people were affected by the Chile earthquake?

  Around 800,000
• What were the effects of the Chile earthquake on buildings and infrastructure?

  Thousands of buildings and vital infrastructure destroyed, including:

  • 22,000 homes,
  • 4,500 schools,
  • 56 hospitals,
  • 53 ports,
  • The Santiago airport (damaged),
  • Electricity, water and communications infrastructure
• What was the estimated cost of the Chile earthquake?

  $30 billion
• What were the secondary effects of the Chile earthquake?

  • Landslides damaged 1500km of roads.
  • A tsunami hit coastal areas of Chile.
  • Fires broke out e.g. a fire in a chemical plant outside Santiago
• How many people died in the Nepal earthquake?

  9,000
• How many people were injured in the Nepal earthquake?

  20,000
• Overall, how many people were affected by the Nepal earthquake?

  Over 8 million (⅓ of Nepal’s population).
• How many people were left homeless by the Nepal earthquake?

  3 million
• How many schools were destroyed in the Nepal earthquake?

  7000.
• How many shops were destroyed in the Nepal earthquake and how did this affect the population?

  50% of shops were destroyed, which limited food supplies in Nepal and affected people’s sources of income.
• How many people were in urgent need of food, water and shelter after the Nepal earthquake?

  1.4 million.
• How did the Nepal earthquake affect utilities (e.g. electricity, water etc.)?

  Electricity, water, sanitation and communications severely affected due to damaged and destroyed infrastructure.
• What was the estimated cost of the Nepal earthquake?

  $5 billion
• What were the secondary effects of the Nepal earthquake?

  • Landslides and avalanches triggered.
  • Landslides blocked rivers like the Kali Gandaki river and flooded areas.
• How many people died in an avalanche on Mount Everest triggered by the Nepal earthquake?


  At least 19.
• What did Chile do to find and help survivors after the earthquake?

  Deployed search and rescue teams to search for survivors, and set up temporary field hospitals to care for them.
• What repairs were carried out immediately in Chile to help with relief efforts?

  Temporary repairs to the Route 5 north-south highway which connects the capital, Santiago, to the rest of the country
• How many shelters were immediately set up and built in Chile for the homeless?

  5,000 temporary shelters were immediately distributed and enough money was eventually raised to build 30,000 temporary shelters.
• How quickly was power and water restored in Chile after the earthquake?

  Power and water was restored to 90% of homes within 10 days.
• How much money was raised after the Chile earthquake?

  $60 million.
• How did Chile respond to destroyed and damaged housing in the long-term?

  • National housing reconstruction plan introduced one month after the earthquake.
  • $USD2.5 billion pledged for 196,000 households affected. Unsafe buildings were demolished.
• Did Chile rely on foreign aid in the long-term?

  Chile did not rely heavily on foreign aid for recovery due to Chile’s strong economy and preparedness.
• How did Nepal source relief supplies immediately after the earthquake?

  Nepal relied heavily on international aid from areas such as China, India and the UK. These countries supplied medical support and essential supplies
• How much was raised internationally after the Nepal earthquake?

  Over £87 million in donations alone
• What did Nepal use for search, rescue and support?

  Helicopters were used to search for survivors and reach those trapped from landslides and avalanches. They were also used for resource distribution to cut off communities.
• How and why were tents so heavily relied upon after the Nepal earthquake?

  • Half a million tents were supplied and used for shelter for the homeless, classrooms and temporary hospitals/health care centres.
  • Hospitals were severely overwhelmed and there were fears of more severe aftershocks causing more damage to buildings
• How many people immediately fled Kathmandu after the earthquake?

  300,000.
• How was social media used immediately after the Nepal earthquake?

  Emergency communication, to let family members know one was safe
• How did Nepal respond to damaged and destroyed buildings in the long-term?

  In 2019, 3/4 of homes were either fully rebuilt or under repair. The government introduced stricter building codes.
• What issues associated with landslides did Nepal have to respond to in the long-term?

  Lakes formed by landslides needed to be carefully drained and cleared so rivers could return to normal. Roads also had to be repaired after landslide damage.
• What were the long-term responses to Mount Everest routes?

  By August 2015, base camp and the routes on Mount Everest were repaired and mountaineers could return.
• What happened in September 2015 that severely hindered Nepal’s recovery process?

  India imposed a blockade at the border, which stopped fuel, medicines and earthquake relief material from being transported into Nepal.