India, Pakistan Capitals Vulnerable in Major Earthquakes
The recent 7.0 earthquake that caused over 200,000 deaths in Haiti has revived discussion of potential loss of life from seismic activity in many cities in the developing world, including the South Asian capitals of Islamabad, Kathmandu and New Delhi, all located close to the South Asian fault lines . GeoHazards International , a Palo Alto, Calif. nonprofit research organization aiming to reduce suffering due to natural disasters, predicts that a 6.0 earthquake on the Richter scale would cause tens of thousands of deaths in major cities in the developing world. Here is GeoHazards' list of top 10 major cities and their expected minimum death tolls in the developing world which are most vulnerable to major earthquakes of 6.0 (or higher) intensity: 1. Kathmandu, Nepal 69,000 2. Istanbul, Turkey 55,000 3. Delhi, India 38,000 4. Quito, Ecuador 15,000 5. Manila, Philippines 13,000 6. Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Pakistan 12,500 7. San Salvador, El Salvador 11,500 7. Mexico City, Mexico...