The tale of the tragedy of Neftegorsk

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck the town of Neftegorsk (population about 3,000) on 27 May, 1995. This paper describes the devastation and the human aspects of the catastrophe of the first week following the quake. A total of 1,995 persons were found dead under the rubble, including 268 children less than 16 years of age. There were 1,144 survivors. A total of 406 person were rescued alive from under the rubble of which an additional 37 persons died in a hospital following rescue. Most of the survivors have been relocated, but some remain in the area. There remains a need for psychological support for the survivors and rescuers.