Estimation of human casualties from earthquakes in pakistan - An engineering approach

An estimate of losses from future earthquakes is crucial to preparing for a disaster and facilitating good decision-making at the local, regional, and national levels of any government. Estimates generated from loss models provide vital tools for land-use planning and prioritization of retrofit and mitigation programs as well as regional and national emergency response and contingency planning. Estimation of casualty levels is essential for medical groups and agencies providing emergency services to aid their preparedness and response capabilities. Mitigation and proactive measures are fundamental to reducing not only human losses but also monetary losses. Therefore the more we know about possible disaster levels from a future earthquake, the better society can prepare for and respond to earthquakes. The most severe consequence of earthquakes is the potential enormous loss of human life. At least 75 countries suffered such loss of life during the last century. The number of fatalities in Pakistan from 1900 to 1990 due to earthquakes comes to a total of 61,773, which ranks the country eighth in the list of countries with the most earthquake deaths (Coburn and Spence 1992).