Personal Response 5 : Earthquakes part 2

How often do they happen?

Did you know there are over a million earthquakes each year in all parts of the world?
But we don't notice most of them because they are so small.
Britain doesn't have a history of devastating earthquakes, but there are 200 to 250 on average a year, and about 30 of those can be felt.

Why is it dangerous after a quake?

Earthquakes are often followed by aftershocks.
These are smaller quakes which bring more damage to already weakened buildings and roads.
Land, especially hills, can also be damaged by earthquakes and can result devastating landslides and mudslides.
After the El Salvador earthquake in 2001, a landslide hit the small town of Las Colinas.
It buried 500 houses and killed 315 people. Many more were never found.