Injuries and Death
The earthquake at Koyna dam caused relatively few deaths considering the magnitude of the event. Approximately 200 people died, the majority of whom were killed in building collapses. Most references put the Koyna earthquake at a magnitude of 6.6-7.5. By comparison, the 1993 earthquake at Khilari, also in Maharashtra, India, was estimated at 6.2-6.4 magnitude, and resulted in more than 8000 deaths (Amateur Seismic Centre; Guha 1971; Smith 2001).
The death toll remained low because the township of Koyna Nagar, which was closest to the epicenter, is fairly rural with low population density. Many neighboring villages also experienced some human injury and significant building damage, but the whole region is somewhat loosely populated. This was particularly fortunate in India, where parts of the country rank among the highest population densities in the world.
Despite this small token of good fortune, any loss of life is still tragic. Some of the death and injury was caused solely by the time of the event. At 4:21 a.m. most people were home and in bed. Later in the day might have found some adults at work in the fields or children in school, but this predawn quake killed men, women and children alike, all caught unawares. To bring the sense of catastrophe home (or perhaps to sell newspapers), the Times of India published a heart-wrenching photo of a young boy who lay dead in his bed ("the fatal bed") after the collapse of his home. This type of sensationalistic reporting is typical of the media focus on human drama to stir interest in a story (Times of India 1967(B)).
In addition to the deaths, estimates of the number of people injured ranged from 2100-2300. By the end of the first day, the nearest hospital was overflowing and patients with severe injuries were being moved to more distant facilities to ensure that proper care could be provided (Times of India 1967(B, E)).
Property Damage
Approximately 80% of the houses in Koyna Nagar were reduced to rubble. Five neighboring communities lost every single home in the village. Most of the villages were small. For example, there were only 53 houses in the village of Nanegaon; all 53 were destroyed. Housing damage and destruction were scattered throughout 50 villages, leaving some 5000 people homeless in the region. For many of these people, their houses and the surrounding land represented everything they owned. For some, the evacuation that ensued during the emergency response phase was as devastating psychologically as the actual shaking was physically (Times of India 1967(A)).
Several structures of spiritual and religious significance were damaged or destroyed as well. The historic Ram Mandir, birthplace of the Swami Ramdas, had its top blown off (Times of India 1967(B)).
Bridges were destroyed and several sections of road were rendered unusable. Forty culverts were damaged. Amazingly, the dam itself held, along with the underground installations of the power station it supported. The shock disrupted the power output however, causing blackouts throughout the region as far as Bombay. Many industrial establishments, primarily textile mills, in Bombay and Poona were paralyzed for several days due to the power shortage (Times of India 1967(A, C)).
