many damaged buildings took part in ad hoc rescue efforts. Doctors, soldiers, and many civilians helped in these rescue efforts. Nine hospitals were shut down. Floreasca Emergency Hospital in Bucharest, having been seriously damaged, was overwhelmed, and subsequently evacuated. The Dinamo Stadium was turned into a triage point for the wounded. By the morning of March 5 work was underway on reestablishing basic utilities – the water, gas, and electrical grids, as well as the phone lines. The presidential couple and the Romanian delegation in Nigeria returned to Romania during the night of 4–5 March 1977. Afterwards Nicolae Ceaușescu imposed a state of emergency throughout the country. In the following days, the Head of State conducted visits to Bucharest to assess damage. Teams of soldiers and firefighters responsible for the rescue of possible survivors received aid from the Red Cross. They were joined by the Buftea film studio stuntmen and many volunteers. Many people were rescued from the ruins, some after several days of being trapped. Notable victims Individuals killed in the earthquake include: Anatol E. Baconsky, essayist, poet, novelist, publicist, literary theorist and translator Doina Badea, pop music singer , film director , editor, critic and literary historian Toma Caragiu, actor , poet , physicist and corresponding member of the Romanian Academy , pianist and composer of classical music Mihai Gafița, critic, literary historian and writer , painter and illustrator Alexandru Ivasiuc, writer and novelist , mezzo-soprano and soloist of the Romanian Opera in Bucharest , curator and art historian Mihail Petroveanu, critic and literary historian , actress , architect, illustrator and scenographer Corneliu M. Popescu, translator Veronica Porumbacu, poet, writer, memoirist, author of children's literature and translator Ioan Siadbei, philologist and literary historian , sportsman and stunt performer Nicolae Vătămanu, doctor and photographer Viorica Vizante, translator See also List of earthquakes in 1977 List of earthquakes in Romania List of earthquakes in Bulgaria 1940 Vrancea earthquake, affecting Bucharest with a magnitude of 7.4–7.7. The Bulgarian film Sweet and Bitter was aired by TVR 1 and has remained linked to the earthquake in the mind of Romanians. References External links Roxana Roseti, "7,2 grade Richter", Jurnalul Național, March 4, 2007 1977 earthquakes 1977 in Romania 1977 in Bulgaria 1977 in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic 1977 in Ukraine 1977 in the Soviet Union Earthquakes in Romania Earthquakes in Bulgaria Earthquakes in Moldova Earthquakes in Ukraine Earthquakes in the Soviet