Which country had the strongest earthquake? The most destructive earthquakes of the 21st century
On April 25, 2015, one of the most powerful earthquakes in history occurred in Nepal, claiming thousands of lives and destroying a large number of historical monuments.
This is the seventh major earthquake in the 21st century. Let's try to remember them all.
2003 Iranian Bam earthquake
alex-dfg.livejournal.comDecember 26, 2003 ancient city Bam in Kerman province, Iran, experienced a devastating earthquake (magnitude 6.3), which killed more than 35 thousand people and injured more than 22 thousand (out of a population of 200 thousand). About 90% of the historic city's clay buildings were destroyed.
The consequences of the earthquake were so widespread due to the fact that many houses were made of clay and did not comply local regulations 1989.
Earthquake in Indian Ocean in 2004
By U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Philip A. McDaniel, via Wikimedia Commons An undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean, which occurred exactly one year after the Iranian one, on December 26, 2004, caused a tsunami, recognized as the deadliest natural disaster in the world. modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake was, according to various estimates, from 9.1 to 9.3. This is the third most powerful earthquake on record.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Indian Ocean, north of the island of Simeulue, located near the north west bank Sumatra Islands (Indonesia). The tsunami reached the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, southern India, Thailand and other countries. The height of the waves exceeded 15 meters. The tsunami caused enormous destruction and a huge number of deaths, as far away as Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6,900 km from the epicenter.
According to various estimates, from 225 thousand to 300 thousand people died. The true death toll is unlikely to ever be known, as many people were swept out to sea.
2008 Sichuan earthquake
By 人神之间 (Own work (Original text: self-made 自己制作)) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons The Sichuan earthquake was a devastating earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008 in Sichuan Province, China. The magnitude of the earthquake was 8 Mw according to the China Seismological Bureau. The epicenter was recorded 75 km from the capital of Sichuan province, Chengdu. The earthquake was felt in Beijing (1,500 km away) and Shanghai (1,700 km), where office buildings shook and evacuations began. It was also felt in neighboring countries: India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia and Russia.
The earthquake occurred in the seismically active Longmenshan fault, which runs along the western edge of the Sichuan Basin, separating it from the Sino-Tibetan mountains.
Official sources say that as of August 4, 2008, about 70 thousand people were killed, about 18 thousand people were missing, and almost 300 thousand were injured.
2010 Haiti earthquake
By Logan Abassi / UNDP Global [CC BY 2.0 ], undefined On January 12, 2010, a major earthquake occurred on the island of Haiti. The epicenter was located 22 km southwest of the capital of the Republic of Haiti, Port-au-Prince.
The earthquake in Haiti was the result of a movement earth's crust in the contact zone of the Caribbean and North American lithospheric plates. The last time an earthquake of such destructive force occurred in Haiti was in 1751.
According to official data, as of March 18, 2010, the death toll was more than 200 thousand people, more than 300 thousand people were injured, and 869 people were missing. Material damage is estimated at 5.6 billion euros.
2010 Chile earthquake
By Atilio Leandro (originally posted to Flickr as San Antonio/Chile) [CC BY-SA 2.0 ], undefined The Chile earthquake was a powerful earthquake that occurred on February 27, 2010 off the coast of Chile, causing loss of life, destruction, and a tsunami. One of the largest earthquakes in the last half century. The epicenter of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake was 90 kilometers from the capital of the Bio-Bio region, Concepción, the country's second largest agglomeration after Santiago. Less than a thousand people became victims of the disaster.
The earthquake caused a tsunami, which hit 11 islands and the coast of Maule, but the number of victims caused by the tsunami was minimal: most of the residents of the coast managed to hide from the tsunami in the mountains.
2011 Japan earthquake
By U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ethan Johnson [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons An earthquake off the east coast of Honshu in Japan, also known as the Great East Japan Earthquake, occurred on March 11, 2011. Its magnitude was up to 9.1. This is the strongest earthquake in known history Japan.
The earthquake caused a powerful tsunami, which caused widespread destruction on the northern islands of the Japanese archipelago. Maximum height the waves were about 40 meters. The tsunami spread throughout the Pacific Ocean; in many coastal countries, including along the entire Pacific coast of North and South America from Alaska to Chile, warnings were issued and evacuations were carried out.
As a result of a natural disaster, an accident occurred at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. Three reactors were in varying degrees damaged and became a source of strong radioactive emissions.
As of September 5, 2012, the official death toll as a result of the earthquake and tsunami was more than 15 thousand people, about 3 thousand are missing, and more than 6 thousand were injured.
2015 Nepal earthquake
By Krish Dulal (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons The 2015 Nepal earthquakes were a series of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 4.2Mw to 7.8Mw that occurred on April 25 and 26, 2015. Tremors were felt in Nepal's capital Kathmandu. Tremors were also observed on Everest, triggering avalanches that killed more than 80 climbers.
The Nepalese government has confirmed the death of more than 4 thousand people, about 7 thousand people were injured. According to media reports, a total of about 100 people died in Nepal's neighboring countries (India, Bangladesh, China).
According to preliminary data, thousands of houses were completely destroyed in the country, the damage is estimated at $5 billion.
On April 25, 2015, one of the most destructive earthquakes on the planet occurred in Nepal, which claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people and turned many buildings and historical monuments into ruins. According to experts, Nepalese residents may experience new aftershocks in the coming week. In our review of the 10 most destructive earthquakes that occurred on Earth over the last century.
1. Valdivia, Chile
This earthquake, which occurred in 1960, was the strongest recorded in history, reaching a maximum of 9.5 on the Richter scale. This can be compared to the simultaneous explosion of 1000 atomic bombs. The earthquake was felt not only in Valdivia, but also in the Hawaiian Islands - 700 km away. During the disaster, which destroyed Valvidia, Concepción and Puerto Montt, 6,000 people died. Material damage amounted to more than $1 billion.
2. Sumatra, Indonesia
On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake occurred at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, which caused a huge tsunami. It was the second most seismically active earthquake in the world, and the longest duration of tremors recorded. Even the Maldives and Thailand suffered from its consequences, as more than 5 tsunamis hit the entire coast of the Indian Sea. 225,000 people died, and in just the first 10 minutes of the disaster, the damage from it amounted to more than $7 billion.
3. Tanshan, China
On July 28, 1976, an earthquake occurred in the Chinese province of Hebei, leveling the city of Tangshan. 255,000 people died, although the Chinese government initially claimed 655,000 dead. The magnitude 8.2 earthquake lasted only 10 seconds but caused massive destruction in the area. Hebei is a region with very low level risk of earthquakes, so the buildings in Tangshan were not earthquake resistant. Total damage was 10 billion yuan, or $1.3 billion.
4. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, USSR
In the early morning of April 26, 1966, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 occurred in Tashkent. The zone of maximum destruction was 10 square meters. kilometers. 8 people died, 78 thousand families were left homeless. More than 2 million square meters of buildings were destroyed.
5. Port-au-Prince, Haiti
The strength of the earthquake in Haiti, which occurred on January 12, 2010, was 7.0 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the tremors was located near Leogane, 25 km west of the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. At least 52 tremors were recorded, which were felt even after 12 days. The earthquake resulted in 316,000 deaths, 300,000 people were injured, and more than a million people were left homeless. 250,000 homes and 30,000 commercial buildings were also destroyed.
6. Tohoku, Japan
On March 11, 2011, the east coast of Japan was hit by a magnitude 9.03 earthquake, which was the strongest in the country's history. The earthquake, considered one of the world's five largest, resulted in 15,878 deaths, 6,126 injuries and 2,173 missing in 20 prefectures. It also destroyed 129,225 buildings, and the tsunami caused by the earthquake led to severe infrastructure damage and fires in many areas. The Fukushima nuclear power plant was severely damaged, leading to radioactive contamination. As a result, Japan faced its biggest crisis since World War II.
7. Ashgabat, USSR
This earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurred on October 6, 1948 near Ashgabat. Due to censorship, it was not reported in the media, so there was no information about casualties or destruction. The number of victims is estimated at 110,000 people, and 98% of all buildings in Ashgabat were destroyed.
8. Sichuan, China
On May 8, 2008, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred in the Chinese province of Sichuan. It was so strong that it was felt in neighboring countries, as well as in distant Beijing and Shanghai, where buildings swayed from the tremors. According to official data, the death toll was 69,197 people. 374,176 people were injured and 18,222 are considered missing. The Chinese government has allocated 1 trillion yuan or $146.5 billion to rebuild areas that were damaged by the earthquake.
9. Kashmir, Pakistan
On October 8, 2005, the disputed region of Pakistan and India, Kashmir, was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. The disaster killed 85,000 people, injured more than 69,000, and left 4 million Kashmiris homeless.
10. Izmit, Türkiye
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck northern Turkey on August 17, 1990. Although it lasted only 3.7 seconds, the city of Izmit was practically reduced to ruins. Officially there were 17,127 casualties and 43,959 wounded, although other sources put the actual death toll at 45,000. The earthquake destroyed 120,000 poorly designed houses and severely damaged 50,000 other buildings. More than 300,000 people were left homeless.
Fortunately, despite the time and the elements, there are places on the planet today that are definitely worth visiting.
About a million earthquakes occur on Earth every year, most of them so minor that most people would mistake them for a loaded car driving down the street next door. However, really strong points and shifts of the earth's crust in densely populated areas turn into a real tragedy, during which tens of thousands of people die and entire cities can turn into ruins. Meet the ten most destructive earthquakes.
10. Lisbon earthquake
One of the most destructive earthquakes occurred on November 1, 1755, the epicenter of which was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, 200 kilometers from the coast of southern Portugal. Strong tremors, tsunamis and fires claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people. The capital of Portugal, Lisbon has practically disappeared from the face of the earth, including the royal palace, the opera house and several cathedrals, burying thousands of works of art and tens of thousands of priceless manuscripts.
9. Messina earthquake
One of the strongest earthquakes in Europe, which occurred on December 28, 1908, affected Sicily and Italy, during which about 120,000 people died. The epicenter of the tremors, a layer of 7.5 points, was located in the Strait of Messina, which led to a simply huge tsunami that hit the coast, literally sweeping away everything in its path. The tragedy was aggravated by numerous underwater landslides, which increased the height of the waves and the very precarious, fragile buildings that were traditionally built in Messini. By the way, 18 days after the earthquake, rescuers were able to pull two children out from under the rubble.
8. Earthquake in Gansu
One of the most destructive and deadly earthquakes occurred on December 16, 1920 in the Chinese province of Gansu. The force of the tremors was about 7.8 on the Richter scale, which led to the destruction of entire cities and villages in which not a single intact building remained. Significant damage was also caused to such large cities as Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. Vibrations from this earthquake were recorded even in Norway. More than 270,000 people died under the rubble and landslides, which is 59% of the population of Gansu at that time.
7. Earthquake in Chile
One of the strongest earthquakes in human history occurred on May 22, 1960 in Chile, the strength of which at the epicenter reached 9.5 points, and the fault was 1000 kilometers. The natural disaster killed 1,655 people, injured 3,000 people, left about 2 million people homeless, and caused half a billion dollars in losses. The tsunami generated by this earthquake reached the coasts of Japan, the Philippines and Hawaii and caused significant damage to coastal communities. In some areas of Chile, the waves were so large that some houses were abandoned 3 kilometers deep into the continent.
6. Kobe earthquake
On January 17, 1995, one of the most destructive earthquakes in Japanese history occurred in the Kobo area. Although the force of the tremors was 7.2 points, the epicenter was located in a very densely populated area. The earthquake killed more than 5,000 people, injured 26,000 people and left about 10 million people homeless. Losses amounted to 200 billion dollars, a kilometer of expressway disappeared from the surface of the earth in a few minutes, several hundred thousand buildings were destroyed, and the work of the large transport company Hanshin Express was paralyzed for several weeks.
5. Earthquake in Kanto
The Kanto earthquake, which occurred on September 1, 1923, was the most destructive in the history of Japan. The natural disaster almost completely destroyed Tokyo and Yokohama, where about 175,000 people died, about one million people were left homeless, and about 200 thousand buildings were destroyed or burned down. Destroyed communications and damaged water supply did not allow the authorities to provide timely assistance to people and effectively combat the consequences of the disaster.
4. Earthquake off the coast of Sumatra
The earthquake off the western coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004 affected all countries of the Indian Ocean. The force of the tremors was 9.1 on the Richter scale, but the deadliest was the tsunami, which killed at least 230,000 people. The reason for the large number of casualties was the undeveloped early warning system for tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. The previous earthquake near Sumatra occurred in 2002, according to experts this was preliminary seismic activity before a major shift of the Indian plate. Then, throughout 2005, there were several more shocks, which, however, did not cause special harm countries.
3. Earthquake in Haiti
The earthquake in Haiti, which occurred on January 12, 2012, almost completely destroyed the capital of this island state, Port-au-Prince. In just a few minutes, half the city's population was left homeless, and about 230,000 people died. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, so the main assistance to the victims was provided international organizations. 5 years after the tragedy, about 80,000 continue to live in tents.
2. Tohoku earthquake
An earthquake at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese province of Tohoku turned into the second largest nuclear disaster after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant. 108 kilometers of ocean day rose 8 meters in 6 minutes, which led to the appearance of a giant tsunami. Giant waves hit the northern islands of Japan, seriously damaging several units at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which led to radioactive contamination of large areas that became uninhabitable. During the tragedy, 15,889 people died and about 2,500 people were missing.
1. Tangshan earthquake
IN Chinese city In Tangshan, on July 28, 1976, an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale occurred, which was destroyed almost to the ground. The scale of the tragedy was intensified by numerous mining operations. The cities of Tianjin and Beijing were also seriously damaged by the tremors. The Chinese authorities tried to limit as much as possible the leakage of information about the scale of the tragedy, about which for a long time were not known abroad, and the number of victims was deliberately reduced. According to official figures, about 250,000 people died, but they say that the real number of victims reaches 800,000 people. More than 5.3 million houses were also destroyed, rendering them uninhabitable.
A series of earthquakes in Italy led to several hundred casualties. It's a tragedy, but it could have been worse. NV chose the most destructive earthquakes throughout the history of civilization
How NV, the Italian earthquakes were quite strong - magnitude 6.2 and 4 on the Richter scale. However, unlike popular belief among ordinary people, the strength of the tremors is not always directly related to the number of victims.
A lot depends on how densely populated the region is in which the disaster occurs and what the earthquake resistance of the buildings is.
The last factor played important role in Italian events. In particular, some observers note that the economic damage will be enormous due to the fact that old buildings in many cities in central Italy have simply collapsed like houses of cards. All this will have to be rebuilt.
Sometimes colossal earthquakes resulted in relatively few casualties. As happened in Alaska in 1964, when an earthquake measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale killed 128 people. For example, in the Armenian city of Spitak in 1988, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 led to the death of 25 thousand people.
NV chose 7 underground disasters that took away greatest number human lives.
The most monstrous earthquake in human history. The death toll exceeded 830 thousand people.
No measurements were taken at that time, but, analyzing eyewitness accounts, scientists estimate it to be at least 8 points on the Richter scale. Cracks with a depth of over 20 m opened at the epicenter of the earthquake. Destruction was recorded within a radius of 500 km from the epicenter.
Such a huge number of victims is explained high density population, as well as the fact that most people lived in light wooden buildings and caves dug into the hillsides.
An earthquake is unique in nature. It consisted of two shocks of identical strength (7.8 points on the Richter scale). The second followed 16 hours after the first.
In total, 650 thousand people died as a result of the tragedy. The destruction was so monstrous that the government of communist China even agreed to accept help from its sworn capitalist enemies.
227 thousand people died as a result of a powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean (9.3 points) with a force equivalent to 23 thousand nuclear charges, similar to the one that was detonated in Hiroshima.
The monstrous tsunami resulting from the earthquake hit 11 Asian countries. The waves reached 15 m in height.
An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale led to the death of 200 thousand people and terrible destruction over an area of over 3.8 thousand square meters. km.
Over the next few months, more than 20 thousand people died from the cold, losing their homes in the midst of a harsh winter.
A powerful earthquake (magnitude 7.9) literally wiped out Yokohama and caused enormous destruction in Tokyo.
143 thousand people died, more than 1 million lost their homes. A total of 600 thousand buildings were destroyed (90% of buildings in Yokohama and 40% in Tokyo).
The Soviet authorities tried in every possible way to hide the truth about the 1948 cataclysm. Therefore, for many decades, in official sources, in the column for the number of victims, the figure of 10 thousand people was indicated.
During the era of perestroika, documents were made public, according to which the death toll was 11 (!) times higher.
As a result of a powerful earthquake (7.9 points), Ashgabat turned into ruins in a matter of minutes - almost not a single intact building remained in the city.
The shock, measuring 7 on the Richter scale, and a series of subsequent impacts, some reaching magnitude 4, killed at least 100,000 people. 250 thousand private houses and about 30 thousand government buildings were destroyed.
The cataclysm in Haiti was marked by unprecedented unity with which the developed countries of the world sent assistance to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake. The United States sent an aircraft carrier with food rations and medicines. More than 20 countries sent military personnel to Haiti to provide assistance and maintain order in the devastated country.
On August 26, 1883, the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano caused one of the most destructive earthquakes in history. We decided to recall other most powerful and terrible earthquakes.
Egyptian earthquake of 1201
This event was reflected in the chronicles of those years, and was also included in the Guinness Book as the most destructive. According to chroniclers, about a million people died in Syria. Perhaps the numbers told by historians are far from the truth, and there is a high probability that the facts have been exaggerated. What is known for certain is that this event led not only to large-scale destruction, but also to serious geopolitical changes and influenced the life of the entire region. 
The list of the most destructive disasters in history includes the Ganja earthquake that occurred in 1139, which killed about 230,000 people. These consequences were caused by strong tremors with an amplitude of 11 points. Due to the fact that it occurred almost a thousand years ago, very little is known about this earthquake, and the main source of information is the description of the Armenian historian and poet Mkhitar Gosh. He describes cities reduced to ruins and a large number of casualties. Taking advantage of the earthquake, Turkish troops attacked the city, looting and killing the people who survived the earthquake. 
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It happened in the province of Shenxi in 1556. This earthquake killed more than 850,000 people, making it one of the most destructive and widespread in human history. At the epicenter of the disaster, more than 60% of people died: such huge casualties were caused by the fact that a large number of people lived in limestone caves, which easily collapsed even with small tremors. Historical records of those years say that most of the buildings were instantly destroyed, and the amplitude of the tremors was so great that the landscape was constantly changing: new ravines and hills appeared, rivers changed their location. The aftershocks that followed the earthquake, which lasted for several months after the tragedy, also caused serious destruction. 
Eruption of Krakatoa volcano in 1883
Huge destruction was caused by the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano at the end of the nineteenth century. The prohibitive number of victims was avoided only due to the fact that the tsunami hit the less populated regions of the islands of Java and Sumatra. 40 thousand died, more than 800 thousand square kilometers of the territory of the volcano were covered with ash, which destroyed all life within a radius of several tens of kilometers from Krakatoa. 
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Earthquake in 2010
Three years ago, a terrible tragedy occurred in Haiti, from which this small, poor country still cannot recover. A powerful earthquake and tsunami destroyed the entire infrastructure of the islands and forced the Haitians to engage in looting and robbery in order to survive in the current situation. The crime rate has skyrocketed to incredible heights, anarchy, infections and isolation from outside world made the situation tenfold worse. The dead number in the hundreds of thousands, the injured in the millions. 