Egypt's Killer Quake

MEASURING 5.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE, THE EARTHquake that shook Cairo last Monday was only a medium-size tremor by world standards. But Cairo's densely overcrowded neighborhoods, the rickety state of much of the city's older housing and the shoddy construction of some of the city's newer buildings combined to turn it into an unprecedented national disaster. The 40-second tremor, felt as far away as Jerusalem, sent Cairo residents scrambling into the streets. As casualty reports flowed in from the capital and outlying provinces, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak hastily interrupted a trip to China. Egyptian officials estimate that more than 500 people have been killed and 6,500 injured. Many dazed residents remained so panic stricken that they spent the rest of the week camping out of doors.

Arab states ranging from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to Libya quickly pledged up to $180 million in aid, and Japan promised to donate $600,000. Although most of Cairo's more modern buildings came through the quake relatively unharmed, there were scenes of terrible devastation, particularly in the older neighborhoods. But Egypt's ancient monuments, including the Sphinx and the Pyramids, survived unscathed.