Earthquake in Neftegorsk on May 28, 1995

1.

Earthquake in Neftegorsk on
May 28, 1995

2.

On May 28,
1995, at
01:04 local
time, an
earthquake
occurred on
the northeast
coast of
Sakhalin
Island. In the
epicenter, the
strength of
the tremors,
according to
various
estimates,
reached 8-10
points.

3.

The earthquake on Sakhalin became the most destructive in
Russia in the last 100 years. Its impact was felt everywhere – in
the north of the island and in many points of the adjacent part of

4.

• The city
was left
without
medical
care – the
Neftegorsk
district
hospital
was
destroyed,
30 doctors
and nurses
were killed.

5.

• The earthquake
destroyed bridges on the
Neftegorsk – Okha road
and significant sections
of roads.
Communications were
disrupted, 300 kilometers
of communication lines
and 200 kilometers of
power lines were
disabled, 45 kilometers of
the Okha–Komsomolskon-Amur oil pipeline, 11
oil pumping stations, and
230 production wells
were damaged.

6.

• By an order of the Government of the
Russian Federation dated May 28, 1995,
the organization of work in the earthquake
area was entrusted to the
Interdepartmental Commission for the
Prevention and Elimination of Emergency
Situations under the leadership of Sergei
Shoigu.
• In an organized manner, emergency
rescue operations in Neftegorsk began at
12 o’clock on May 28, with the arrival of the
task force of the Far Eastern Regional
Center of the Ministry of Emergency
Situations of Russia. By this time, 59
rescuers of the Kamchatka, Sakhalin,
Khabarovsk search and rescue services, as
well as consolidated mobile detachments of
civil defense forces of the Far Eastern and
Trans-Baikal regional centers of the
Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia,
had arrived in the disaster area. Later, they
were joined by rescuers from the Central
Rescue Service of the Ministry of

7.

• It was during the liquidation of
the consequences of the
Neftegorsk earthquake that
Sakhalin rescuers used the
«hour of silence» for the first
time in the history of rescue
work, when heavy machinery
and mechanisms stopped,
negotiations stopped in order
to hear the people who
survived under the rubble.
Subsequently, the practice of
the «hour of silence» became
international in the analysis of
blockages formed as a result
of man-made and natural
disasters.

8.

• During the search and
rescue operations,
406 people were
extracted alive from
2364 people trapped
under the ruins, of
which 37 died in
medical institutions
and during the
evacuation stages,
138 were seriously ill
for a long time, 42
remained disabled.
62.5% of the total
population (2,040
people) died, including
268 children.