A big Earthquake

Millions of people around the world live in areas where earthquakes happen. Every year, hundreds of people die in earthquakes in these areas. Sometimes earthquakes are so powerful that they can kill hundreds of thousands of people. For example, in 2004, more than 298,000 people died in different earthquakes around the world.

Earthquakes don’t just destroy life. They also destroy property. People lose their houses, and cities lose important structures because of strong earthquakes. A big earthquake can damage or block roads to towns and small villages, so helping the people there becomes difficult.

Earthquakes don’t just happen on land. They can happen at the bottom of a sea or an ocean. These earthquakes are more dangerous because they cause very big tsunamis that can hit towns and cities near the sea.

Humans, at least today, can’t prevent earthquakes, but they can do things to protect themselves. For example, they can build strong buildings, train people to respond to emergencies quickly and save food and water for the victims of an earthquake. Do you live in an area where earthquakes happen regularly? Are the people in your town or city ready to respond to a big earthquake?