1977 Bucharest earthquake

The 1977 Bucharest Earthquake occurred on Friday, 4 March, 1977, 21:20 local time and was felt throughout the Balkans. It had a magnitude of 7.4 and its epicenter in Vrancea (in the Eastern Carpathians) at a depth of 94 kilometers.

The earthquake killed about 1,570 people and wounded more than 11,000. Among the victims was the Romanian actor Toma Caragiu.
Nicolae Ceauşescu had to suspend his official trip to Nigeria.

About 35,000 buildings were damaged, and the total damage was estimated at more than two billion dollars. Most of the damage was concentrated in Romania's capital, Bucharest, where about 33 large buildings collapsed. Most of those buildings were built before World War II, and were not reinforced. Many of the historic buildings that collapsed were not rebuilt; instead, the land was cleared for the building of the Palace of the Parliament. After the earthquake, the Romanian government imposed tougher construction standards.

About 80% of the town of Zimnicea was destroyed. In Bulgaria, the earthquake is known as the Vrancea Earthquake or Svishtov Earthquake. Three blocks of flats in the Bulgarian town of Svishtov (near Zimnicea) collapsed, killing more than 100 people. Many other buildings were damaged, including the Church of the Holy Trinity.

Notable Romanians, victims of the earthquake

*Toma Caragiu, actor
*Anatol Baconski, poet
*Alexandru Ivasiuc, writer
*Mihai Gafiţa, writer
*Corneliu M. Popescu, poem translator
*Alexandru Bocăneţ, film producer
*Doina Badea, musician
*Savin Bratu, literary critic
*Daniela Caurea, poet
*Mihail Petroveanu, literary critic
*Veronica Porumbacu, poet
*Eliza Petrăchescu, actress
*Tudor Dumitrescu, pianist
*Ioan Siadbei, literary critic
*Mihaela Mărăcineanu, mezzo-soprano
*Liviu Popa, film director
*Florin Ciorăscu, physicist
*Tudor Stavru, stunt man
*Nicolae Vatamanu
*Viorica Vizante

ee also

*The Bulgarian film "Sweet and Sour" was being aired by TVR and has remained linked to the earthquake in the mind of Romanians" [http://www.adevarul.ro/articole/30-de-ani-de-la-marea-zguduiala/304755 30 de ani de la marea zguduială] ", Florentina Stoian, Adevarul, 3 March 2007] .
*On 10 November 1940, another earthquake had struck Bucharest with a Richter magnitude of 7,7.

References

External links

* Roxana Roseti, [http://www.jurnalul.ro/articole/84798/72-grade-richter "7,2 grade Richter"] , "Jurnalul Naţional, March 4, 2007