The most powerful earthquake in the world. The strongest earthquake

The danger of such natural phenomenon, like an earthquake, is estimated by most seismologists in points. There are several scales by which the strength of seismic shocks is assessed. The scale, adopted in Russia, Europe and the CIS countries, was developed in 1964. According to data from a 12-point scale, the greatest destructive force is typical for an earthquake of 12 points, and such strong tremors are classified as a “severe catastrophe.” There are also other methods for measuring the strength of shocks, which take into account fundamentally different aspects - the area where the shocks occurred, the time of “shaking” and other factors. However, no matter how the strength of tremors is measured, there are natural disasters that are among the most terrible.

The strength of earthquakes: has there ever been a magnitude 12?

Since the Kamori scale was adopted, and this made it possible to evaluate natural disasters that had not yet disappeared into the dust of centuries, at least 3 earthquakes with a magnitude of 12 points have occurred.

Tragedy in Chile, 1960.
Destruction in Mongolia, 1957.
Tremors in the Himalayas, 1950.

In the first place of the rating, which contains the most strong earthquakes in the world, the 1960 cataclysm known as the “Great Chilean Earthquake.” The scale of destruction is estimated at the maximum known 12 points, while the magnitude of the ground vibrations exceeded 9.5 points. The most powerful earthquake in history occurred in May 1960 in Chile, near several cities. The epicenter was Valdivia, where the fluctuations reached a maximum, but the population was warned of the impending danger, since the tremors were felt in nearby provinces of Chile the day before. Those who died in this terrible disaster It is believed that 10 thousand people, a lot of people were carried away by the tsunami that began, but experts say that without prior notification there could have been many more victims. By the way, many people were saved due to the fact that the mass of people went to church for Sunday services. At the moment the shaking began, people were in churches that stood.

The most destructive earthquakes in the world include the Gobi-Altai disaster, which swept through Mongolia on December 4, 1957. As a result of the tragedy, the earth was literally turned inside out: fractures formed, demonstrating such geological processes, which under normal circumstances are not visible. High mountains in the mountain ranges ceased to exist, the peaks collapsed, and the usual pattern of the mountains was disrupted.

Tremors in populated areas progressed and continued for quite a long time until they reached 11-12 points. People managed to leave their houses seconds before complete destruction. Dust flying from the mountains covered the cities of southern Mongolia for 48 hours, visibility did not exceed several tens of meters.

Another terrible cataclysm, estimated by seismologists at 11-12 points, occurred in the Himalayas, in the highlands of Tibet, in 1950. The terrible aftermath of the earthquake in the form of mudflows and landslides changed the relief of the mountains beyond recognition. With a terrible roar, the mountains folded like paper, and dust clouds spread from the epicenter to a radius of up to 2000 km.

Tremors from the depths of centuries: what do we know about ancient earthquakes?

The largest earthquakes that occurred in modern times, discussed and well covered in the media.

Thus, they are still widely known, the memory of them, of the victims and destruction, is still fresh. But what about earthquakes that occurred a long time ago - a hundred, two hundred or three hundred years ago? Traces of destruction have long been eliminated, and witnesses either survived the incident or died. Nevertheless historical literature contains traces of the most terrible earthquakes in the world that happened a long time ago. Thus, in the chronicles recording the largest earthquakes in the world, it is written that in ancient times tremors occurred much more often than now, and were much stronger. According to one such source, in 365 BC, tremors occurred that affected the entire Mediterranean territory, as a result of which the seabed was exposed before the eyes of eyewitnesses.

Deadly earthquake for one of the Wonders of the World

One of the most famous ancient earthquakes is the destruction of 244 BC. In those days, according to scientists, tremors occurred much more often, but this particular earthquake is especially famous: as a result of the tremors, the statue of the legendary Colossus of Rhodes collapsed. This statue, according to ancient sources, was one of the Eight Wonders of the World. It was a giant beacon in the form of a statue of a man with a torch in his hand. The statue was so huge that a flotilla could sail between its spread legs. The size played a cruel joke on the Colossus: its legs turned out to be too fragile to withstand seismological activity, and the Colossus collapsed.

Iranian earthquake of 856

The death of hundreds of thousands of people as a result of even not very strong earthquakes was common: there were no systems for predicting seismic activity, no warning, no evacuation. Thus, in 856, more than 200 thousand people became victims of tremors in the north of Iran, and the city of Damkhan was wiped off the face of the earth. By the way, the record number of victims from this single earthquake is comparable to the number of earthquake victims in Iran for the rest of the time, until today.

The bloodiest earthquake in the world

The Chinese earthquake of 1565, which destroyed the provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi, killed more than 830 thousand people. This absolute record in terms of the number of human casualties, has not yet been exceeded. It remained in history as the “Great Jiajing Earthquake” (named after the emperor then in power). Historians estimate its power at 7.9 - 8 points, as evidenced by geological surveys.

This is how this phenomenon was described in the chronicles:
“In the winter of 1556, a catastrophic earthquake occurred in Shaanxi and the provinces around it. Our Hua County has suffered numerous troubles and misfortunes. Mountains and rivers changed their location, roads were destroyed. In some places, the ground unexpectedly rose and new hills appeared, or vice versa - parts of the former hills went underground, floated and became new plains. We always went to other places mudflows, or the earth split and new ravines appeared. Private houses, public buildings, temples and city walls collapsed with lightning speed and completely.”.

Cataclysm for All Saints' Day in Portugal

Terrible tragedy, which claimed the lives of more than 80 thousand Portuguese, occurred in Lisbon on November 1, 1755. This cataclysm is not included among the most powerful earthquakes in the world either in terms of the number of victims or the strength of seismic activity. But the terrible irony of fate with which this phenomenon broke out is shocking: the tremors began precisely when people went to celebrate the holiday in church. The temples of Lisbon could not stand it and collapsed, burying a huge number of unfortunates, and then the city was covered by a 6-meter tsunami wave, killing the rest of the people on the streets.

The largest earthquakes in the history of the twentieth century

Ten disasters of the 20th century that claimed greatest number lives and brought the most terrible destruction, are reflected in the summary table:

Date	Place	Epicenter	Seismic activity in points	Dead (Persons)
		22 km from Port-au-Prince
		Tangshan/Hebei Province
	Indonesia
		90 km from Tokyo
	Turkmen SSR
		Erzincan
	Pakistan

		25 km from Chimbote

Tangshan-1976

The Chinese events of 1976 are captured in Feng Xiaogang's film "Disaster". Despite the relative weakness of the magnitude, the disaster carried away large number lives, the first shock provoked the destruction of 90% of residential buildings in Tangshan. The hospital building disappeared without a trace; the opening of the earth literally swallowed up the passenger train.

Sumatra 2004, the largest in geographical terms

The 2004 Sumatran earthquake affected several countries: India, Thailand, South Africa, Sri Lanka. Exact number the victims cannot be counted, since the main destructive force - the tsunami - carried tens of thousands of people into the ocean. This is the largest earthquake in terms of geography, since its prerequisites were the movement of plates in the Indian Ocean with subsequent tremors over a distance of up to 1600 km. The ocean floor rose as a result of the collision of the Indian and Burmese plates; tsunami waves ran in all directions from the fracture of the plates, which rolled thousands of kilometers and reached the shores.

Haiti 2010, our time

The first thing happened in Haiti in 2010 big earthquake after almost 260 years of silence. The greatest damage was suffered by the national fund of the republics: the entire center of the capital with its rich cultural heritage, all administrative and government buildings were damaged. More than 232 thousand people died, many of whom were carried away by the tsunami waves. The consequences of the disaster were a surge in the incidence of intestinal diseases and an increase in crime: the tremors destroyed prison buildings, which prisoners immediately took advantage of.

The most powerful earthquakes in Russia

In Russia there are also dangerous seismically active regions where an earthquake can occur. However, most of these Russian territories remote from densely populated areas, which eliminates the possibility of major destruction and casualties.

The largest earthquakes in Russia, however, are also included in tragic story the struggle between the elements and man.

Among the most terrible earthquakes in Russia:

North Kuril destruction of 1952.
Neftegorsk destruction in 1995.

Kamchatka-1952

Severo-Kurilsk was completely destroyed as a result of tremors and tsunami on November 4, 1952. Unrest in the ocean, 100 km from the coast, brought waves 20 meters high to the city, hour after hour washing the coast and washing away coastal settlements into the ocean. The terrible flood destroyed all buildings and killed more than 2 thousand people.

Sakhalin-1995

On March 27, 1995, the elements took only 17 seconds to wipe out the workers' village of Neftegorsk in the Sakhalin region. More than 2 thousand residents of the village died, accounting for 80% of the residents. Large-scale destruction did not allow the village to be restored, so locality became a ghost: a memorial plaque was installed in it telling about the victims of the tragedy, and the residents themselves were evacuated.

A dangerous area in Russia from the point of view of seismic activity is any region at the junction of tectonic plates:

Kamchatka and Sakhalin,
Caucasian republics,
Altai region.

In any of these regions, the possibility of a natural earthquake remains possible, since the mechanism of the generation of tremors has not yet been studied.

Major earthquakes have occurred throughout human history, with the earliest recorded dating back almost 2,000 BC. But it is only in the last century that our technological capabilities have reached the point where the impact of these disasters can be fully measured.
Our ability to study earthquakes has made it possible to avoid catastrophic casualties, such as in the case of a tsunami, when people have the opportunity to evacuate a potentially dangerous area. But unfortunately, the warning system does not always work. There are several examples of earthquakes where the greatest damage was caused by the subsequent tsunami, and not by the earthquake itself. People have improved building standards and improved early warning systems, but they have never been able to completely protect themselves from disasters. There are many in various ways estimate the strength of the earthquake. Some people base it on the Richter scale, others on the number of deaths and injuries, or even the monetary value of the damaged property.
This list of the 12 strongest earthquakes combines all of these methods in one.

Lisbon earthquake
The Great Lisbon Earthquake struck the Portuguese capital on November 1, 1755, causing enormous destruction. They were made worse by the fact that it was All Saints' Day and thousands of people attended mass in the church. Churches, like most other buildings, could not withstand the elements and collapsed, killing people. Subsequently, a tsunami 6 meters high hit. An estimated 80,000 died due to fires caused by the destruction. Many famous writers and philosophers dealt with the Lisbon earthquake in their works. For example, Emmanuel Kant, who tried to find scientific explanation what happened

California earthquake
A major earthquake struck California in April 1906. Etched into history as the San Francisco earthquake, it caused damage to a much wider area. Downtown San Francisco was destroyed by a huge fire that followed. Initial figures mentioned 700 to 800 dead, although researchers claim the actual death toll was more than 3,000. More than half of San Francisco's population lost their homes as 28,000 buildings were destroyed by the earthquake and fires.

Messina earthquake
One of Europe's largest earthquakes struck Sicily and southern Italy in the early hours of December 28th, 1908, killing an estimated 120,000 people. The main epicenter of the damage was Messina, which was virtually destroyed by the disaster. The magnitude 7.5 earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami that hit the coast. A recent study suggested that the size of the waves was so huge because of an underwater landslide. Much of the damage was due to the poor quality of buildings in Messina and other parts of Sicily.

Haiyuan earthquake
One of the deadliest earthquakes on the list occurred in December 1920, with its epicenter in Haiyuan Chingya. At least 230,000 people died. Measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, the earthquake destroyed almost every home in the region, causing extensive damage. major cities like Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. Incredibly, waves from the earthquake were visible even off the coast of Norway. According to a recent study, Haiyuan was the strongest earthquake to hit China during the 20th century. Researchers have also questioned the official death toll, suggesting there may have been more than 270,000. This number represents 59 percent of the population in the Haiyuan area. The Haiyuan earthquake is considered one of the most destructive natural disasters in history.

Chilean earthquake
A total of 1,655 were killed and 3,000 were injured after a magnitude 9.5 earthquake struck Chile in 1960. Seismologists called it the strongest earthquake ever to occur. 2 million people were left homeless, and economic losses amounted to $500 million. The force of the earthquake caused a tsunami, with casualties in places as far away as Japan, Hawaii and the Philippines. In some parts of Chile, waves have moved building ruins 3 kilometers inland. The powerful Chilean earthquake of 1960 caused a giant rupture in the ground extending over 1,000 kilometers.

Earthquake in Alaska
On March 27th, 1964, a strong 9.2 earthquake struck the Prince William Sound region of Alaska. As the second largest earthquake on record, it caused a relatively low number of deaths(192 dead). However, significant property damage occurred in Anchorage, and tremors were felt in all 47 US states. Due to significant improvements in research technology, the Alaska earthquake has provided scientists with valuable seismic data, allowing them to better understand the nature of such events.

Kobe earthquake
In 1995, Japan was hit by one of its most powerful earthquakes when a magnitude 7.2 shock struck the Kobe region in south-central Japan. Although it was not the worst ever seen, the devastating impact was felt by a significant portion of the population - approximately 10 million people living in densely populated areas. populated area. A total of 5,000 were killed and 26,000 were injured. The US Geological Survey estimated damage at $200 billion, with infrastructure and buildings destroyed.

Sumatra and Andaman earthquake
Hit on December 26, 2004 across all countries Indian Ocean The tsunami killed at least 230,000 people. It was caused by a large undersea earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. His strength was measured at 9.1 on the Richter scale. The previous earthquake in Sumatra occurred in 2002. It is believed that this was a preliminary seismic shock, and several aftershocks occurred during 2005. The main reason The huge number of casualties was the lack of any early warning system in the Indian Ocean capable of detecting an approaching Tsunami. A giant wave reached the shores of some countries, where tens of thousands of people died, for at least several hours.

Kashmir earthquake
Jointly administered by Pakistan and India, Kashmir was hit by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in October 2005, killing at least 80,000 people and leaving 4 million homeless. Rescue efforts were hampered by conflicts between the two countries fighting over the territory. The situation was aggravated by the rapid onset of winter and the destruction of many roads in the region. Eyewitnesses spoke of entire areas of cities literally sliding off cliffs due to the destructive elements.

Disaster in Haiti
Port-au-Prince was hit by an earthquake on January 12, 2010, leaving half the capital's population without their homes. The death toll is still disputed and ranges from 160,000 to 230,000. A recent report highlighted that as of the fifth anniversary of the disaster, 80,000 people continue to live on the streets. The impact of the earthquake has caused severe poverty in Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Many buildings in the capital were not built in accordance with seismic requirements, and the people of the completely destroyed country had no means of subsistence other than the international aid provided.

Tohoku earthquake in Japan
The biggest nuclear disaster after Chernobyl was caused by a magnitude 9 earthquake off the east coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. Scientists estimate that during the 6-minute earthquake of colossal force, 108 kilometers of the seabed rose to a height of 6 to 8 meters. This caused a large tsunami that damaged the coast of Japan's northern islands. Nuclear power plant Fukushima was badly damaged and efforts to salvage the situation are still ongoing. The official death toll is 15,889 dead, although 2,500 people are still missing. Many areas have become uninhabitable due to nuclear radiation.

Christchurch
Worse natural disaster New Zealand's history claimed 185 lives on February 22, 2011, when Christchurch was hit by a strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake. More than half of the deaths were caused by the collapse of the CTV building, which was built in violation of seismic codes. Thousands of other houses were also destroyed, including the city's cathedral. The government introduced state of emergency in the country so that rescue operations proceed as quickly as possible. More than 2,000 people were injured, and reconstruction costs exceeded $40 billion. But in December 2013, the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce said that three years after the tragedy, only 10 per cent of the city had been rebuilt.

Over its many-thousand-year history, humanity has experienced earthquakes that, in their destructiveness, can be classified as catastrophes on a universal scale. The causes of earthquakes are not fully understood and no one can say with certainty why they occur, where the next catastrophe will be and of what magnitude.

In this article we have collected the strongest earthquakes in human history, measured by magnitude. What you need to know about this value is that it takes into account the amount of energy released during an earthquake and is distributed from 1 to 9.5.

8.2 points

Although the magnitude of the 1976 Tien Shan earthquake was only 8.2, it can rightfully be considered one of the most destructive earthquakes in the history of mankind. According to the official version, this terrible incident claimed the lives of more than 250 thousand people, but according to the unofficial version, the number of deaths is close to 700 thousand and is completely justified, because 5.6 million houses were completely destroyed. The event formed the basis of the film "Catastrophe", directed by Feng Xiaogang.

Earthquake in Portugal in 1755 8.8 points

The earthquake that occurred in Portugal back in 1755 on All Saints' Day belongs to one and h the most powerful and tragic disasters in human history. Just imagine that in just 5 minutes Lisbon was turned into ruins, and almost a hundred thousand people died! But the victims of the earthquake did not end there. The disaster caused a huge fire and tsunami that raged along the coast of Portugal. Overall, the earthquake provoked internal unrest, which led to changes foreign policy countries. This disaster marked the beginning of seismology. The magnitude of the earthquake is estimated at 8.8.

9 points

Another devastating earthquake in Chile occurred in 2010. One of the most destructive and major earthquakes in the history of mankind over the past 50 years has caused maximum damage: thousands of victims, millions of people homeless, dozens of destroyed settlements and cities. The greatest damage occurred in the Chilean regions of Bio-Bio and Maule. This disaster is significant in that the destruction occurred not only because of, but also the earthquake itself caused considerable harm, because its epicenter was on the mainland.

Earthquake in North America in 1700 9 points

In 1700, as a result of strong seismic activity North America's coastline has been altered. The disaster occurred in the Cascade Mountains, on the border of the United States and Canada and, according to various estimates, was at least 9 points in magnitude. Little is known about the victims of one of the strongest earthquakes in world history. As a result of the disaster, a huge tsunami wave reached the shores of Japan, the destruction of which is mentioned in Japanese literature.

2011 East Coast Japan earthquake 9 points

Just a few years ago, in 2011 east coast Japan was shaken by the most powerful earthquake in human history. In 6 minutes of a magnitude 9 disaster, more than 100 km of seabed was raised 8 meters in height, and the ensuing tsunami hit the northern islands of Japan. The notorious Fukushima nuclear power plant was partially damaged, which triggered a radioactive release, the consequences of which are still felt today. The number of victims is said to be 15 thousand, but the true numbers are not known.

9 points

It is difficult to surprise residents of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan with tremors - these regions are located in the fault zone earth's crust. But the most powerful earthquake in the history of Kazakhstan and all of humanity happened in 1911, when the city of Almaty was almost completely destroyed. The disaster was called the Kemin earthquake, which is recognized as one of the most powerful inland earthquakes of the 20th century. The epicenter of events occurred in the valley of the Bolshoy Kemin River. Huge relief gaps with a total length of 200 km formed in this area. In some places, entire houses that fell into the disaster zone are buried in these gaps.

9 points

Kamchatka and Kuril Islands belong to seismically active regions and earthquakes do not surprise them. However, residents still remember the disaster of 1952. One of the most destructive earthquakes that humanity remembers began on November 4 in Pacific Ocean 130 km from the coast. Terrible destruction was caused by the tsunami that formed after the earthquake. Three huge waves, the height of the largest reached 20 meters, Severo-Kurilsk was completely destroyed and damage was caused to many settlements. The waves came at intervals of an hour. Residents knew about the first wave and waited out it on the hills, after which they went down to their villages. The second wave, the largest, which no one expected, caused the greatest damage and claimed the lives of more than 2 thousand people.

9.3 points

March 27, 1964 at Good Friday All 47 US states trembled due to the earthquake in Alaska. The epicenter of the disaster occurred in the Gulf of Alaska, where the Pacific and North American plates meet. One of the strongest natural disasters in human memory, a magnitude of 9.3 claimed relatively few lives - 9 people died out of 130 victims in Alaska and another 23 lives were claimed by the tsunami that followed the tremors. Of the cities, Anchorage, located 120 kilometers from the epicenter of events, was severely damaged. However, destruction swept along coastline from Japan to California.

9.3 points

Literally 11 years ago, one of the most, perhaps, the strongest recent earthquakes in human history in the Indian Ocean. At the very end of 2004, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake several kilometers off the coast of the Indonesian city of Sumatra triggered the formation of a monstrous tsunami that wiped out part of the city from the face of the earth. 15-meter waves caused damage to cities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, South Africa and southern India. No one gives the exact number of victims, but estimates suggest that between 200 and 300 thousand people died, and several million more people were left homeless.

9.5 points

The most powerful earthquake in human history occurred in 1960 in Chile. According to expert estimates, it had a maximum magnitude of 9.5 points. The disaster began in the small town of Valdivia. As a result of the earthquake, a tsunami was formed in the Pacific Ocean, its 10-meter waves raged along the coast, causing damage to settlements located near the sea. The magnitude of the tsunami reached such proportions that it destructive force felt by the residents of the Hawaiian city of Hilo, 10 thousand kilometers from Valdivia. Giant waves even reached the shores of Japan and the Philippines.

The magnitude of the earthquake that took place in Japan was 8.8. It happened on March 11 and will never be forgotten, because in the entire history of the country, the earthquake was the strongest and largest. Speaking about the world, earthquakes happen quite often, however, fortunately, the consequences after them, so to speak, are not very damaging. But global disasters still happen.

There is an earthquake that people will remember for a long time. It is considered the largest in the last 100 years. The earthquake occurred in Haiti, it was officially recorded and documented. The date January 12, 2010 turned out to be deplorable for the Haitian population. It happened in the evening at 17-00. There was a shock with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale, this madness lasted for 40 seconds, and then there were smaller shocks, but up to 5. There were 15 such shocks, and the total was 30.

The power of such an earthquake was incredible; there are not enough words to describe it. But what are the words when this natural disaster claimed the lives of 232 thousand people (data vary around this mark). Millions of residents were left homeless, and the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, was completely in ruins.

There is an opinion that such terrible consequences could have been avoided if the country's authorities had foreseen in advance the possibility of such earthquakes. Some publications wrote that after the disaster, many residents were left without food, water and shelter. Help was provided slowly, there was simply not enough of it. People stood eating for a long time in a line that had no end in sight. Naturally, such unsanitary conditions caused a surge in diseases, among which was cholera, which claimed the lives of hundreds of people.

A less powerful earthquake, which was ranked second, was the earthquake of July 28, 1976 in the city of Tangshan (China). The strength of the earthquake was estimated at 8.2 points, as a result, 222 thousand civilians died, but, to be specific, there is no specificity in these numbers. Data is approximate. Many international organizations subsequently kept a count of the dead after the Tangshan earthquake. Some say that the death toll numbered up to 800 thousand people, and the tremors were 7.8 magnitude. There is no exact data, why they are being hidden and who is behind it is also unknown to anyone.

Already in 2004, people also had to endure an earthquake. It was recognized as one of the most destructive and one of the deadliest disasters on the planet. The earthquake affected Asia, reached the Indian Ocean, and passed from Indonesia all the way to eastern Africa. Its strength was 9.2 points on the scale, caused enormous costs and took the lives of 230 thousand people.

In such cases, statistics are always kept according to which the Eastern and South-Eastern lands of Asia are considered to be the lands most susceptible to earthquakes. For example, in the province of Sichuan (China) on May 12, 2008, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8, during which 69 thousand people died, 18 thousand were missing, and approximately 370 thousand people were injured. This earthquake was ranked seventh among the largest.

In Iran, in the city of Bam on December 26, 2003, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 occurred. 35 thousand people died. This disaster was ranked 10th among all others.

Russia also felt the tragic consequences of the earthquakes. On March 27, 1995, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9 occurred in Sakhalin. 2,000 people died.

The night from October 5 to 6, 1948 in Turkmenestan turned out to be tragic for many, and for some it was the last. The strength of the earthquake at the epicenter was 9 points, and the magnitude was 7.3. There were two most intense impacts, lasting 5-8 seconds. The strength of the first is 8 points, the second is 9 points. And in the morning there was a third shock of 7-8 points. Over the course of 4 days, the earthquake gradually subsided. Almost 90-98% of all buildings in Ashgabat were destroyed. Approximately 50-66% of the population died (up to 100 thousand people).

Many argue that not 100, but 150 thousand people were carried away by the earthquake to the next world. The Soviet media was in no hurry to announce exact figures, and did not intend to. No haste was noticed in their action. They only said that this disaster claimed the lives of many people. But the consequences were still so great that even 4 military divisions arrived in Ashgabat to help the residents.

Once again China suffered from an earthquake. On December 16, 1920, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred in Gansu Province. Its magnitude was 8.6. It bears similarities to the Great China Earthquake. Many villages were razed to the ground, and the death toll ranged from 180 to 240 thousand people. This number includes 20 thousand people who died from the cold that took possession of them, and people had nowhere to hide from it.

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 figures 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 large number victims. 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 the 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, anarchy, infections and isolation from the outside world have soared to incredible heights and have worsened the situation tenfold. The dead number in the hundreds of thousands, the injured in the millions.