Osho once said ‘ Man has the capacity, the intelligence, the freedom to explore and if you have explored the nature properly than you have come home. Nature is your Home.’ Nature affects every dimension of our lives but than whoever build the Heavens must be looking down upon the Earth and must be thinking ‘Gosh! What a mess I have made!’ – this reviving the memories of Noah to feel the ‘Ups and downs’ are just another part of  Life, anyway!

Gujarat was struck with horrifying Earthquake terror on India's Republic Day and the fury of nature yet continues in many parts of the world today with the Global warming & ozone hole.

The Earthquake conjure images of appalling destruction, horrifying death and people made homeless in thousands. Humans cannot abate the fury of the nature as it swirls around to engulf them with its claws. When god made Eden, he created Man but then after, he has to perform endless jobs to balance life on earth. The fate of many victims lies in his hands. Free souls sympathize for the victims caught in the disaster and pray heavenly peace for the departed souls. Let’s build a ray of hope and support a mission to help the stranded people where we can reach them with our little help in the best way we can. Maybe, our little Prayers too, may heal the pain!

Keep the Faith

-Editor, Kidsfreesouls

KILLER EARTHQUAKE WRECKS HAVOC IN MANY PARTS OF INDIA & PORTIONS OF HYDERABAD IN PAKISTAN - WITH BHUJ AS ITS EPICENTRE, THE EARTHQUAKE HAS CREATED A PANIC AND HAVOC WITH MANY PEOPLE KILLED, HOMELESS AND STRANDED. BHUJ IS WORST HIT FOLLOWED BY AHMEDABAD WHERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FACE THE FURY OF THE NATURE!

WHY EARTHQUAKES? GLIMPSE INTO SCOOP INFORMATION ON EARTHQUAKES

THE RESLESS EARTHQUAKE - NATURE UNLEASHES ARMAGEDDON!

Nothing seems more stable than the ground beneath our feet and nothing more unchanging than the seasons. The Earth’s internal heat keeps the tectonic plates that make up its surface in constant motion. Structural changes are also due to changes in global scale as pollution threatens a dramatic and irreversible warming of the atmosphere. The world’s weather goes to extremes and as humans face the fury of nature, the wrath of gods leaves impressions on the Earth with destructions in forms of Hurricane, Tornado, Earthquakes and so on. The earthquake has wrecked terrible havoc and stranded many a thousands of people homeless to battle against the fate. Scientists long believed the core of the Earth to be smooth, spherical mass of iron, molten on the outside and solid but still astonishingly hot, within. However, 1980s research techniques reveal that the earth is not smooth at all but features ‘valleys’ deeper than the Grand Canyon and ‘peaks’ higher than the Mount Everest. They are the oceans of molten rock. According to the theory of plate tectonics developed over the last 30 years, the Earth’s crust is made up of a series of interlocking, slowly shifting plates. Over millions of years the plates have moved, diverging from, colliding with or grinding against each other, and in the process moving and changing the outline of the continents, creating new areas of the sea bed, building mountains and volcanoes and bringing about earthquakes. The constant moving of the tectonic plates that make up the Earth’s crust builds stress deep underground as the movement of the plate pushes or pulls rock, until eventually it gives way with cataclysmic results. The earthquake involves phenomenal amounts of energy releasing 10,000 times as great as that of the first atomic bomb.

Why Earthquakes occur

The plate tectonics theory says that the earth’s outer shell consists of about 10 large, rigid plates and about 20 smaller ones. Each plate consists of a section of the earth’s crust and a portion of the mantle, the thick layer of hot rock below the crust. Scientists call this layer of crust and upper mantle the lithosphere. The plates move slowly and continuously on the asthenosphere, a layer of hot, soft rock in the mantle. As the plate move, they collide, move apart or slide past one another. The movement of the plates strains the rock at and near plate boundaries and produces zones of fault around these boundaries. The rock becomes locked in place and cannot slide as the plates move. Stress builds up in the rock on both sides of the fault and causes the rock to break and shift in an earthquake. The focus of earthquake lies less than 70 kms beneath the surface though the deepest known focuses have been nearly 700 kilometres below the surface. The point on the surface of the earth directly above the focus is known as the epicenter of the quake where the strongest shaking is usually felt. The violent breaking of rock releases energy that travels through the earth is the form of vibrations called seismic waves which move out from the focus of an earthquake in all directions.

Structural hazards

Structures collapse during a quake when they are too weak or rigit to resist strong, rocking forces. Skyscrapers vibrate wildly due to impact of earthquake. Engineers for building structures should adopt the right techniques. The simpler reinforcement techniques include bolting buildings to their foundations and providing support walls called shear walls. Shear walls, made of reinforced concrete (concrete with steal rods or bars embedded in it), help strengthen the structure and help resist rocking forces. Shear walls in the center of a building, often around a lift shaft or stairwell, form what is called a shear core. Walls may be reinforced with diagonal steal beams in a technique called cross bracing. Also medium sized buildings should be done with devices that act like shock absorbers between the building and foundation. These devices, called base isolators are usually bearings made of alternate layers of steel and an elastic material such as synthetic rubber. Base isolators absorb some of the sideways motion that would otherwise damage a building. Skyscrapers need special construction to make them earthquake resistant. They must be anchored deeply and securely into the ground. They need a reinforced framework with stronger joints that an ordinary skyscraper has. Such a framework makes the skyscraper strong enough and yet flexible enough to withstand an earthquake. Earthquake resistant homes, schools and workplaces have heavy appliances, furniture and other structures fastened down to prevent them from toppling when the building shakes.

Devastating Earthquakes

Historical records of earthquakes before the middle of the 18th century are generally lacking or unreliable. Among the ancient quakes for which reasonably trustworthy records exist are the one that occurred off the coast of Greece in 425 BC, making Euboea an island; one that destroyed the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor in AD 17; one that leveled much of Pompeii in 63; and those that partly destroyed Rome in 476 and Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 557 and again in 936. In the Middle Ages, severe quakes occurred in England in 1318, Naples in 1456, and Lisbon in 1531
The earthquake in 1556 in Shaanxi (Shensi) Province of China, which killed about 800,000 people, was one of the greatest natural disasters in history. In 1693, an earthquake in Sicily took an estimated 60,000 lives; and early in the 18th century the Japanese city of Edo (the site of modern Tokyo) was destroyed, with the loss of some 200,000 lives. In 1755 the city of Lisbon was devastated by a quake and about 60,000 people died, a disaster that figured in the French writer Voltaire's novel Candide. The shock was felt as far away as the English Midlands. Quito, now the capital of Ecuador, was shaken by an earthquake in 1797, and more than 40,000 people died. In the 20th century, large areas of India, Iran, Japan, Turkey, Armenia, and the Soviet Union have been hit by severe earthquakes. In 1920, 200,000 people died as a result of an earthquake which struck Kansu Province, China (and 70,000 in the same region in 1932); in 1976, 240,000 were killed in T'ang-shan, China. In North America, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 caused extensive damage and claimed about 700 lives. In 1988 a devastating earthquake struck northern Armenia, killing 25,000 people, and in 1990 50,000 were killed by an earthquake that struck Rasht, Iran. In 1995 the Kobe earthquake in Japan claimed the lives of over 6,000 people and more than 100,000 buildings were damaged.

A Kidsfreesouls Report to Talkcity Friends during the Earthquake in India

From Ilaxi (subinHTCC) to Hagsie - Team Leader, Talkcity Home Team

Minutes before the Earthquake, the Republic day celebrations marked the early morning with Indian flags raised in town and sadly within no time, the Earthquake has changed the look of the city left many aghast that it would rather take months to be back to normal in Ahmedabad and most parts of Gujarat.

As we experience a traumatic situation, the earthquake has wrecked terrible havoc and stranded many a thousands of people homeless to battle against the fate. With God’s grace, we are fine here but shocked to see the horrifying deathbeds and shattering homes leaving people homeless stranded on the roads. The situation is very very bad over here with uncertainty still hanging with the unknown fate. The whole city is gloomy and people full of fear and anxiety over here. Many flats and buildings have fallen flat to ground and parts of many buildings hanging loose to drop any time. There has been cracks in many walls and almost all people staying in Flats have vacated and shifted to safer places. Many lives are lost in Ahmedabad and people are still found alive from the debris. The hospitals are all flooded with patients for treatments and rescue operations are doing their best at all places. It has been difficult to face such a horrifying situation as there is lack of proper emergency teams and no know how of such disaster. Lack of equipments affected the rescue operations.  Many people are still on roads staying in open in garden areas, common plots and open places. The buildings that haven’t flattened have developed cracks and numerous after shocks continues to generate uncertainty and people are restless with fear gripped all around. Rumours also arise which scare people that a bigger earthquake is coming and they rush on roads keeping awake for more than 2/3 hours.  However, it is expected still that within 48 hours after shocks are likely more as announcements are made on television by keshubhai. These after shocks will be of lesser intensity, it is said. However , today morning at 6.40 a tremor was felt which had a scale of 4.9 in Ahmedabad and all people were out on roads but this tremor was felt much less than the first one on 26^th Jan morning at 8.46 a.m. that we all face which was worst. It was horrifying that the earth was shaking terribly with rumbling sounds beneath and as we all ran on the road, the around 2 mins quake was shattering that we could feel our feet moving off the ground. The cars parked on the road were shaking bouncing up and down and animals running helter skelter as birds flew away swirling in air.

The rescue teams from Switzerland with sniffer dogs arrived today and as shown on television (channel aaj tak), the dogs sniffed at Mansi complex building near sambhaav, satellite and as soon as they sniffed, the team cut a big hole with their equipments within few seconds and were successful with their first operation to save a madam Mona sanghvi and a girl who we saw were pulled out from the hole and taken for emergency treatment. They were lying beneath the debris since 26^th morning quake. Japan is also sending special team for rescue operations and mobile vans for medical aid. A man and another lady who had cell phone rang for help from under debris and after difficult searching them, were found alive and saved. Some buildings have fallen sideways and two buildings clashing down against each other. Volunteers are active and kitchens set up for food, funds being raised in groups too and help provided to all stranded victims. A great unity is found in families and friends and also unknown ppl. Many people have left the city and some pouring in. All workers have left for their villages. Bad elements are also found everywhere and one can never know of their intentions as many buildings are fallen and almost all flats vacated. Everything is so uncertain and its not going to be possible for a routine life within next fifteen days to a month, it is feared as there has been cracks in many buildings and without inspection nobody would go out of house who are safe.

Thousands have died in bhuj, the worst hit with over 70 vllages and towns still wait for rescue workers. There is mass cremations there. The rescue operations find very difficult there and the hospitals are in open with military treating the patients. It is a cut off area almost for two days and  the kutch bhuj and surroundings are destructed. Morbi, surat, kapadvanj areas are also affected a lot. Baroda is not much affected though.

The wrath of gods seems to engulf humans bringing disaster. Let’s pray for the heavenly peace for the departed soul and wish the fury of nature keeps calm once again.

Me, my family, friends and relatives and people around me all okay.

Hi SubinHTCC,
Wow,  my jaw just dropped when I read your story!You are an excellent writer subinHTCC!  I would like to suggest you add a web page to your HTCC crew page and write a story about this.   A very tragic story but very interesting.

I find it amazing you even have the ways and means to send out e-mail as
messed up as everything must be.  I would like to see you share your story
with our team cluster.I'm sure they would be interested and concerned as well.

Let me know if I can help in any way! my thoughts and best wishes certainly
go out for you people!

Thank you subin for sending the story:-)  
Take Care :-)

hagsHCCC
Team Leader
Talkcity HomeTeam

From Subinhtcc :
A week after the Earthquake, its now time to pray, heal and move on with an unforgettable experience. Nature has cast a bad spell and as Gujarat passes through a phase of the worst calamity that has struck upon in India, there has been a mass support of people from all over the country and world offering their generous help for the humanitarian cause. Flattened dreams now came apart for many homeless people in Ahmedabad who are grief stricken and gripped with panic of the continued ‘After Shocks’ of the earthquake. Light after shock tremors are still felt with a scale of 4.7 and 5.8 in Ahmedabad, Bhuj and surrounding areas. These tremors are very light and one feels its dizzy effect for a few seconds. However, they are now after shocks and possibly not to bring in the terror as it left earlier. People are emotionally caught up with ‘Fear syndrome’ scaling to heights as even slight tremors make people rush on roads. Rumors are spread that a bigger calamity will strike wherein two third of the world will face wrath of gods. Geologists say that there is danger towards North east of India now, probably the Himalayan areas.

A newspaper carried an article in November with the predictions of quake on 26^th Jan and the same astrologer has now predicted another earthquake on 3^rd February and coming days for which he is put behind bars for spreading rumor and fear among people. The whole of city is out with different stories of rumors and a great fear and anxiety is popping up from the minds of people who prefer to stay indoors at home that something might happen! Nothing happens except a few tremors of light intensity relax human minds by 4^th noon making them prepared to re-start a routine from Monday, 5^th. The newspapers are full of tales of survivals, relief and rescue operations. Inspirations and tales of courage speak strengths of victims who survived and people who lost their families, body parts and everything, show amazing acceptance of their fate with faith strong build within themselves. Quake fear has driven a man to commit suicide whereas a man jumped from second floor with an after shock tremor injuring himself. Even after eight days, People staying in high-rise flats are yet staying on roads or ‘shelter camps’ arranged by Relief operation camps and they would not go to their houses out of fear. The rumors are adding more fuel to fire and each one has a different say and logic thinking of own. Some of the building owners are filed offences for using sub standard material for buildings, which crashed.  The astrologers blame the culprit ‘Saturn’ the planet of sorrow and suffering and the common factor in all the four conjunctions (Jupiter, Saturn, mars-saturn, venus-saturn and sun-Saturn) that play a role in this catastrophe. The govt. has also failed in coordinating relief and rescue work. There is sheer callousness as relief measures are not reaching the victims. Foreign aid and support is very welcoming and even Pakistan has sent help across for victims.

Demolition of buildings is being carried out in Ahmedabad for quake affected buildings and relief operation groups are engaged in relief work with volunteers fund raising and helping out the quake affected people. From cash to kind, all helps are given, child adoption also finds a way of doing it as well as homes are given to the affected victims, the relief operations carried out by big Companies in India.

It is amazingly seen that one village Chopwadia is totally destroyed and one village Haripur is totally unaffected with the attack. With the massive rehabiliation process, the Haripur villagers (all farmers) came forward with their hard toiled stock of food of two years and many litres of milk supported and rendered help to neighbouring affected villages. Villages like Anjar, Bachao, Halvad, Ratnal Lodhai, Gandhidham and many others are devastated.  As far as the affected building is the ancestral home of Father of nation Gandhiji & Kasturba Gandhi in Porbandar. The 500 year old temple of Dwarka is demolished in quake but surprisingly remains the statue of god and praying hall! This temple is the religious one with Dwarka as kingdom of Krishna where he stayed with his queen and many other queens, (As per religious books,  it is  said that Dwarka was drowned in ocean by Krishna himself once upon a time)

Food poisoning, water borne diseases, psychological traumas, epidemic are feared which are normal threats of after quake effects. Though slow for any action related to emotional problems, the other factors are given priority to prevent diseases. There are still victims found alive after eight days and many are still crumbled below the debris. The equipments, Doctors, medicine, etc. shortages still pose problems in Bhuj and nearby villages.The killer earthquake marks the scars of the day that shows the huge crater and wide eye like slits opened by monster quake marking the spots in Bhuj. Nature gives a glimpse of bounty and it is believed that Indus river is changing its course and in Kutch region, people have noticed a gush in the desert. Fresh water is flowing in some regions and people are surprised to find sweet water flowing on the surface. Villagers are spell bound to find this miracle.

It is reported that the Black Friday 26^th Jan’s jolt clocked 8.1 on the Richter scale. In the aftermath of the killer quake, a wave of religiosity is sweeping across Gujarat. Temples, mosques and other places of worship are suddenly overflowing with humanity. People have seen the fury of god and now praying for mercy and repenting for their sins. Citizens show exemplary compassion in crisis. Many individuals have offered their voluntary help for a humanitarian cause helping out the victims. This kind of selfless gesture is also observed in students who have joined as volunteers to serve in affected areas distributing food packets and other daily requirements.

It is expected that from this coming week, things would settle and offices might open, the buildings which are not affected but fear and uncertainty still remains as almost all flats are vacated and people fear to go back to their homes.

The above email report is published online with a view to give a glimpse of the earthquake fury to  students who are with the Project/Essay Writing on 'Earthquake'

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