Lessons from Las Colinas Landslide caused by the January 13, 2001 Off the Coast of El Salvador Earthquake

Abstract

El Salvador was struck by two devastating earthquakes within a month. The first quake of Jan. 13, 2001, which was centered off El Salvador's southern coast, damaged and/or destroyed nearly 108, 000 houses, and killed at least 944 people. One of the most spectacular aspects of the January 13 earthquake was the nationwide damage inflicted by landslides. Among total 445 landslides caused by this earthquake, Las Colinas landslide was the most tragic. The slipped soil mass washed many houses and therefore more than 500 lives to death. This report outlines the findings obtained through the reconnaissance by the JSCE team and laboratory tests that followed it.