On the morning of January 26, 2001, the Nation’s 52nd Republic Day, a devastating earthquake occurred in the Kutch district of the state of Gujarat. The earthquake was felt as far away as Delhi in the north, Kolkata in the east and Chennai in the south. Bhuj town and the village Bhachau, 60 km east of Bhuj, were the worst affected and many other areas of Gujarat including its state headquarters Ahmedabad, were badly affected. The earthquake devastated the Bhuj and nearby regions of Gujarat causing extensive loss of life and property. The total loss of life due to the earthquake is 13,805 and 12, 05,198 houses have been damaged (Source: Control Room, Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat).
