We all know about the M=8.8 quake in Chile yesterday, and the quarter million plus dead from the M=7.0 in Haiti earlier in the month. But there's the question, why did the smaller quake kill so many more people?
The answer is simple, really, Chile has had lots of huge earthquakes and the various governments, be they Allende's, Pinochet's or somewhere in between in the political spectrum, have always been in favor of strictly enforcing tough housing standards, while Haiti, having had no earthquakes of anywhere near that magnitude in centuries (not to mention being dirt poor), didn't think to have earthquake proofing on the agenda.
Earthquakes don't kill people, shoddy buildings in earthquakes kill people.
Now the question is where will one strike next and what to do about it are always pressing. more below the fold.
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