The 1949 Ambato earthquake was the largest earthquake in the Western Hemisphere in more than five years. On August 5, 1949, it struck Ecuador’s Tungurahua Province southeast of its capital Ambato and killed 5,050 people. Several major earthquakes have occurred throughout the country since 1949, including the 1987 Ecuador earthquakes and the 1997 Ecuador earthquake.
About 1949 Ambato earthquake in brief
The 1949 Ambato earthquake was the largest earthquake in the Western Hemisphere in more than five years. On August 5, 1949, it struck Ecuador’s Tungurahua Province southeast of its capital Ambato and killed 5,050 people. Earthquakes in Ecuador stem from two major interrelated tectonic areas: the subduction of the Nazca Plate under the South American Plate and the Andean Volcanic Belt. Several major earthquakes have occurred throughout the country since 1949, including the 1987 Ecuador earthquakes and the 1997 Ecuador earthquake. The 2007 Peru earthquake also affected the country. The earthquake was preceded by a foreshock, which, although modest, was strong enough to cause chaos and force people to flee from their homes into the streets. The main shock originated southeast of Ambato. Nearby faults ruptured, breaking rock strata and sending shock waves to the surface capable of bringing down entire buildings.
When the primary shock hit Ambato’s main cathedral and military barracks collapsed, as did most of the city’s buildings, scores of young girls preparing for their First Communion perished in the cathedral. The village of Libertad sank into a huge hole about 800m in diameter with all its 100 inhabitants. The city of Patate and Pelileo suffered the most with 1,000 and 1,300 dead, respectively. Shaking up to intensity extended as far away as Quito and Guayaquil. Initial reports estimated the death toll at 2,700, but the official measurement was later revised to 6. 4 Ms. The shaking ruptured water mains, opened cracks in the earth, reduced bridges to rubble, and disabled hamlets. The nearest hamlets derailed, disabled train tracks, and destroyed roads; closer to the mountains of the Andes, landslides destroyed buildings.
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This page is based on the article 1949 Ambato earthquake published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 03, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
