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Aerial photograph of downtown Managua shows
still-smoldering rubble in region of heaviest
earthquake damage.
This view, taken from 3,000 feet
by a National Aeronautics and Space Administration C-130,
is part of extensive photographic coverage
of the area being used by NOAA scientists
to evaluate damage patterns.
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Construction equipment knocks down remaining walls
of a building damaged in the Managua earthquake.
Large areas of the city were declared
"contaminated areas" and leveled and covered
with lime to serve as mass graves.
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A Nicaraguan soldier patrols against looters
in the ruined city of Managua after the devastating
earthquake.
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Damage to structures in Managua, and the distribution of damage,
were consistent with a shallow focus near the center of the city.
A type of construction common locally, in which walls consist of
a wooden frame filled with rubble
(upper left), frequently performed poorly because the timber frames
were rotten or termite-ridden.
Some modern buildings performed well and suffered only
slight structural damage. Others were badly damaged, with failure
frequently resulting from the use of stiff masonry walls
in reinforced concrete frames,
which caused high stresses and damage at the corners of the frames
(upper right) and typical "X-cracks" or shear cracks in the masonry walls.
Failure of columns in the American-Nicaraguan school (lower left)
resulted in partial collapse, with the top two stories tipping
forward into the crushed lower stories.
Damage decreased rapidly away from town. These masonry resisdences
(lower right) only three miles from the earthquake source
were undamaged.
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This Managua nigthclub collapsed during the December 23 shaking,
killing dozens of the late-night patrons.
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The United States embassy in Managua sustained heavy damage
in the December earthquake. A ground crack (upper left)
and possible surface trace of the
causative fault snakes toward the embassy grounds,
where a carport
(upper right) collapsed and buildings (lower row)
showed X-cracking and collapse.
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Damaged office building
southeast of the downtown area.
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Hotel in downtown Managua.
Note collapse of lower level(s).
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