Seriously damaging double earthquake near Blida, Algeria - at least 10 injured

Created December 23, 2014 Last update December 23, 2014 15:53 By

Earthquake-report.com only survives with (mostly small) PRIVATE DONATIONS. Your gift will be highly appreciated.
–

Update 15:13 UTC : The road from Hammam Melouane towards de El-Makrounate has been seriously damaged due to deformation

Update 15:03 UTC : At least 10 injuries so far in the Blida area

Important Update 14:49 UTC : The villages of Hammam Melouane et Chebli, located in the wilaya of Blida sustained what was called serious damage. Many houses were severely damaged and some even partially collapsed. Several people have been injured (source : Algerie1)

Update : A local newspaper reports that 1 person was injured today

Important Update : Did you know that :
March 2, 1825, 07h A cruel intensity X=XI. Disastrous earthquake in Algeria, the town of Blida was completely destroyed, several thousands of inhabitants perished, a village was buried between two-hills, at Alger V (RK) or great damage reported by (MMC), felt throughout the mountains of the "Petit" Atlas (RK, GA, MMC, GS), 11 very violent aftershocks till March 6

Screen Shot 2014-12-23 at 11.10.55

Update : This earthquake happened at extremely shallow depth (hypocenter or breaking point in between 0 and 15 km) and might inflict serious damage and injuries in populated areas. The earthquake type is almost always strike-slip related (2 sides of a fault gliding horizontally next to each other). Extremely shallow strike-slip earthquakes are often inflicting minor damage from M3.8 on. They often lead to injuries and serious damage from M4.8 on (which is confirmed by this earthquake)

Screen Shot 2014-12-23 at 16.17.39

Update : Based on the current preliminary earthquake data, earthquake-report.com does expect at least some slight damage like cracks in walls, fallen tiles, etc. in an area of 20 km around the epicenter

Update : At 08:53 UTC another powerful aftershock shook the area. It measured M4.7. these aftershocks can go on for several days or even weeks and a very strong +5 earthquake is not to be excluded. So, please be prepared and follow the Be Prepared Instructions (internationally accepted instructions)

Screen Shot 2014-12-23 at 10.52.36

Update 08:14 UTC : This is the Xth aftershock near (dangerous) Blida. Only 2 days ago, another slightly weaker aftershock shook the entire area

Update 08:09 UTC : Preliminary Magnitude 4.8

11km (7mi) SSE of Bouinan, Algeria
13km (8mi) SSW of Bougara, Algeria
13km (8mi) SE of Souma, Algeria
15km (9mi) S of Chebli, Algeria
35km (22mi) S of Algiers, Algeria

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 4.5

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2014-12-23 09:59:05

GMT/UTC Time : 2014-12-23 08:59:05

Depth (Hypocenter) : 10 km

Depth and Magnitude updates in the list below.

Share your earthquake experience (I Have Felt It) with our readers.
Click on the "I Felt It" button behind the corresponding earthquake. Your earthquake experience is not only important for science, but also for people in the area as well as our global readership.

Refresh this list
SRC Location UTC Date/time M D INFO
EMSC Northern Algeria Dec 23 08:59 4.7 10 MAP
GEOFON Northern Algeria Dec 23 08:59 4.5 10 MAP I Felt It INFO
USGS Bougara, Algeria Dec 23 08:59 4.7 12 MAP
EMSC Northern Algeria Dec 23 08:33 3.9 30 MAP
USGS Bouinan, Algeria Dec 23 08:00 4.9 11 MAP
EMSC Northern Algeria Dec 23 08:00 4.9 8 MAP
GEOFON Northern Algeria Dec 23 08:00 4.7 10 MAP I Felt It INFO
  • Algiers - la secouse a pris 10 secondes.. pas de dégat; j'étais au siège du PFLN (Parti du Front de Libération Nationale), direction informatique.
  • Alger - J'etais au bureau et tout bougeait bizarrement , ca a durer une diziane de secondes voir plus
  • Algiers - No damages , it lasted for a while though
  • Alger - RàS
  • Alger - Pas de dégât pour l'instant, mais la terre bouge pas mal ces jours-ci en Algérie.
  • Alger - peur
  • Algiers,Mohammadia - very strong,fews seconds,no damage
  • Draa El Mizan - j'ai besoin savoir si c'est vrai
  • Algies - pas de degat pour le momemt ( Al Hamd li Allah)
  • Alger - what happen
  • Bordj el Kiffen - Je l'ai senti " forte + PEUR "
  • Alger Centre - Pas de dégâts aux alentours, mais j'ai l'impression que le tremblement a perduré !!!
  • Alger - Je l'ai senti
  • Dar El Beida - tres bien senti ..
  • Blida - Secousse plutot longue que forte. Pas de degats.
  • El Achour - une réplique a 10 h de M 3.6
  • Baraki - j'habite au 5 étage la secousse a duré peut être 5 seconde pas de dégâts, mais beaucoup de peur
  • Bougara - un 1er tremblement de terre a été ressenti aujourd'hui december ,23 2014 a 07:33 AM , d'une magnitude de 2.9 un second à 09:59 AM d'une magnitude de 4.7 et un autre quelque temps après de 3.2 vers les environ de 11:00 AM ; regards
  • algiers - was on 7th floor of hotel wonderd what was happening felt 2 tremers about 1 hour apart
    		•
    EMSC Northern Algeria Dec 23 06:33 3.8 10 MAP I Felt It INFO

    REAL TIME EARTHQUAKE LISTS - WORLD - REGIONS - COUNTRIES - STATE

    Our Fast Earthquake and Tsunami Twitter Accounts : M4+ - ALL - M5+ - M6+ - CHILI – CANADA – BRITISH COLUMBIA - CALIFORNIA - OREGON – WASHINGTON - HAWAII – TEXAS – OKLAHOMA

     

    Other earthquakes in the greater epicenter area

    Strongest earthquakes (since 1900) within a 150 km radius from this earthquake

     

    Upload your earthquake photos and videos CLICK HERE TO SEND US YOUR PICTURES AND VIDEOS.

    SHARE YOUR EARTHQUAKE EXPERIENCE WITH US

    I felt the shaking *
    Country where you felt the earthquake *
    City/Village where you felt the earthquake *
    Street or suburb (area) where you felt the earthquake
    Latitude (area) where you felt the earthquake
    Longitude (area) where you felt the earthquake
    Shaking Strength *
    MMI II (Very weak shaking) ?
    People :
    Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
    MMI III (Weak shaking) ?
    People :
    Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
    MMI IV (Light shaking) ?
    People :
    Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building.
    Fittings :
    Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock.
    Structures :
    Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
    MMI V (Moderate shaking) ?
    People :
    Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed.
    Fittings :
    Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate.
    Structures :
    Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
    MMI VI (Strong shaking) ?
    People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily.
    Fittings :
    Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut).
    Structures :
    Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall.
    Environment :
    Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
    MMI VII (Very strong shaking) ?
    People
    General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop.
    Fittings :
    Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings.
    Structures :
    Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged.
    Environment :
    Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
    MMI VIII (Severe shaking) ?
    People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
    MMI IX (Violent shaking) ?
    Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
    Tell us your experience and how many seconds the shaking lasted + let us know if your property has been damaged (even slight damage). (max. 500 characters)
    * mandatory fields
    X

    Filed Under: Aftershocks, articles with additional comments, CatDat ORANGE, Damaging earthquakes, Dangerous earthquakes, earthquakes, Earthquakes with injured people, M +4 quakes