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Quiz yourself on Tectonic HazardsGet your flashcardsBuild my revision planTrack my progress⚖️ Chile 2010 vs Nepal 2015 — Side by Side
| Factor | Chile 2010 (HIC) | Nepal 2015 (LIC) |
|---|---|---|
| Magnitude | 8.8 Mw | 7.8 Mw (32× less energy) |
| Plate margin type | Destructive — Nazca subducting under South American Plate | Collision — Indian Plate crashing into Eurasian Plate |
| Deaths | ~550 | ~9,000 (16× more) |
| Homes destroyed/damaged | 500,000 | 900,000 |
| People displaced | 2 million | 2.8 million |
| Economic damage | $30 billion (~18% of GDP) | $10 billion (~50% of GDP) |
| GDP per capita | ~$10,000 | ~$700 |
| Building quality | Strict seismic codes since 1960; reinforced concrete frame | Unreinforced brick and stone; minimal enforcement |
| Emergency services | Well-funded; hospitals functioning; 14,000 troops deployed within hours | Limited; 1 doctor per 4,000 people; international aid needed immediately |
| Terrain and access | Coastal plain; road network intact; Concepción accessible | 60% mountains; roads blocked by landslides; many villages only accessible on foot |
| Response time | Military deployed within hours; rescue teams on-scene quickly | 72+ hours before rescue reached many remote villages |
| Recovery speed | $8.4bn reconstruction plan; largely complete within 3–4 years | NRA not set up until 7 months later; hundreds of thousands still in temporary shelters 3 years on |
The key lesson: the physical strength of an earthquake does not determine the scale of human suffering — vulnerability and preparedness do.
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