On April 25, 2015, one of the strongest earthquakes in history struck 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.comOn December 26, 2003, the ancient city of Bam in the province of Kerman, Iran, experienced a devastating earthquake (6.3 points), which killed more than 35 thousand people and injured more than 22 thousand (out of 200 thousand of the population). About 90% of the clay buildings of the historic city were destroyed.
The effects of the earthquake were so massive because many of the houses were made of mud and did not meet local 1989 regulations.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
By U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Philip A. McDaniel , via Wikimedia Commons An underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean, which occurred exactly one year after the Iranian one, on December 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami, recognized as the deadliest natural disaster in modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake was, according to various estimates, from 9.1 to 9.3. This is the third strongest earthquake in the history of observation.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Indian Ocean, north of the island of Simeulue, located near the northwestern coast of the island of Sumatra (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, even in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6900 km from the epicenter.
Died, according to various estimates, from 225 thousand to 300 thousand people. The true death toll is unlikely to ever be known, as many people were swept into the sea by the water.
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 is 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, the city of Chengdu. The quake was felt in Beijing (1500 km away) and Shanghai (1700 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 died, about 18 thousand people went missing, 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 hit 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 the movement of the earth's crust in the contact zone of the Caribbean and North American lithospheric plates. The last time an earthquake of such destructive power occurred in Haiti 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 Chile earthquake - a powerful earthquake that occurred on February 27, 2010 off the coast of Chile, causing loss of life, destruction and the formation of a tsunami. One of the largest earthquakes in the last half century. The epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 was located 90 kilometers from the capital of the Bio-Bio Concepción region, the country's second largest agglomeration after Santiago. Less than a thousand people became victims of the disaster.
The earthquake caused a tsunami that hit 11 islands and the coast of Maule, but the number of victims caused by the tsunami is minimal: most of the inhabitants 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 the island 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 the known history of Japan.
The earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that wreaked havoc on the northern islands of the Japanese archipelago. The maximum wave height was about 40 meters. The tsunami spread throughout the Pacific Ocean; warnings and evacuations were issued in many coastal countries, including along the Pacific coast of North and South America from Alaska to Chile.
As a result of a natural disaster, an accident occurred at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. Three reactors were damaged to varying degrees and became a source of strong radioactive emissions.
As of September 5, 2012, the official death toll from the earthquake and tsunami was more than 15,000 people, about 3,000 were missing, and more than 6,000 were injured.
2015 Nepal earthquake
By Krish Dulal (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons The 2015 Nepal earthquakes are a series of earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.2Mw and 7.8Mw that occurred on 25 and 26 April 2015. The tremors were felt in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. The aftershocks were also observed on Everest, triggering avalanches that killed more than 80 climbers.
The Nepalese government confirmed the death of more than 4 thousand people, about 7 thousand people were injured. According to media reports, in the neighboring countries of Nepal (India, Bangladesh, China), a total of about 100 people died.
According to preliminary data, thousands of houses were completely destroyed in the country, the damage is estimated at $ 5 billion.
The history of mankind remembers a lot of cataclysms, the most dangerous of which, for good reasons, are earthquakes. The power of such natural events is estimated on the Richter scale. We propose to recall the top 10 most powerful earthquakes in the history of the Earth. These are the most striking seismic threats that have taken the lives of millions of people. At the same time, humanity still remembers the dates of terrible events, which even modern technology and progress did not allow to avoid. And so, let's start the review:
TOP 10 most destructive earthquakes
It is worth noting that the most powerful earthquakes in the history of the world were recorded in Chile. The last one happened in 2010. The power of the magnetic impact on the Richter scale is estimated at 8.8 points. The epicenter of the threat was in the city of Bio-Bio Concepción. The inhabitants of this settlement and the city of Maule suffered the most. A total of 540 people died in Bio-Bio Concepcion. On the territory of the second city, 64 people were injured. Approximately 2 million people were left homeless. In total, the damage is estimated at $30 billion.
The tsunami that occurred on January 31 in Ecuador hit the entire coast of Central America at once. A magnitude of 8.8 was recorded in San Francisco. The first wave even reached Japan. Fortunately, it was possible to get by with a minimum of victims due to the low population density. According to preliminary estimates, 1,500 people were affected, left without homes. Due to the timely response of the rescuers, no dead were found. However, the damage is estimated at $1.5 million.
One of the strongest earthquakes in history is considered to be a seismic shock recorded in 1923 near the island of Oshima. Nearly 300,000 buildings in Tokyo and Yokohama were destroyed as a result of the incident. For two days there were 356 aftershocks. As a result, the waves reached a height of 12 meters. The tsunami claimed the lives of 174 thousand people. About 542 thousand are considered missing. In total, the damage is estimated at 4.5 billion dollars.
As a result of this cataclysm, more than 820 thousand people died. Paul the number of victims of this incident is considered the most serious in history. The catastrophe has gone down in history because of its duration. The horror lasted nearly three days. During this time, the entire component of the Shaanxi province was destroyed, including 60% of the population of the settlement. The epicenter affected three provinces, including Feinan and Huaxian. A magnetic focus has been registered in the Wei Valley. It is difficult to assess the damage due to the remoteness of the events.
In 2011, a magnitude of 9.1 was recorded on the island of Honshu. The strongest earthquake in the history of Japan occurred 130 kilometers from the city of Sendai. Approximately 30 minutes later, the coast of the country was overtaken by the strongest tsunami, which destroyed 11 power units of the nuclear power plant in 69 minutes. As a result, 6,000 people died. 2,000 Japanese were missing. In total, the country suffered $36.6 billion worth of damage. To this day, local residents remember March 11 with horror.
As a result of a powerful earthquake on November 5, 1952, the tsunami reached the city of Severo-Kurilsk. As a result of a seismic event with a magnitude of 9 points, the strongest tsunami destroyed the entire city. According to rough estimates, the wave took the lives of 2336 people. At the same time, about 6,000 people are considered missing. The waves reached 18 meters in height. The damage, even at that time, was $1 million. In total, three waves were observed. The weakest of them reached a height of 15 meters.
On December 26, an underwater earthquake with a scale of 9.3 reached the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The focus of the cataclysm provoked the most destructive tsunami in the history of mankind. Waves of 15 meters destroyed Sri Lanka, southern India and the coast of Indonesia. Even the people of Thailand suffered damage. The tsunami almost completely demolished the infrastructure of the east of Sri Lanka. According to preliminary estimates, close to 225 thousand people died. At the same time, another 300 thousand are considered missing. According to preliminary estimates, the damage is 10 billion dollars.
It happened in the northern part of the Gulf of Alaska. Power is 9.2 points. The epicenter of the terrible earthquake was registered 120 kilometers from the western part of Sewarde. The aftershocks resulted in the destruction of Kodiak Island and the city of Valdese. 9 people died from the shock itself. The tsunami resulted in the death of 190 people. It was possible to reduce mortality due to the timely detection of a threat. However, California suffered $200 million in damages. The destruction stretched from Canada all the way to California.
Within a few minutes, they occurred a few miles off the coast of Haiti, their magnitudes were 7.0 and 5.9, respectively. In the capital of the Republic of Port-au-Prince, as a result of two tremors, several buildings collapsed. There are dead and wounded.
year 2009
In October, a series of strong earthquakes occurred in Sumatra (Indonesia). According to the UN, at least 1.1 thousand people died. Under the rubble were up to 4 thousand people.
On the night of April 6, a devastating earthquake of magnitude 5.8 occurred near the historic city of L'Aquila in central Italy, killing 300 people, injuring 1,500, and more than 50,000 were forced to flee their homes.
2008
On October 29, in the Pakistani province of Balochistan, an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale with an epicenter 70 km north of the city of Quetta (700 km southwest of Islamabad) killed up to 300 people.
On May 12, in the province of Sichuan in southern China, 92 km from the administrative center of the province - the city of Chengdu, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.9 occurred, which claimed the lives of up to 87,000 people, 370,000 were injured, and 5 million people were left homeless. After the main earthquake, more than ten thousand repeated tremors followed.
The Sichuan earthquake became the strongest in China after the Tangshan earthquake (1976), which claimed about 250,000 lives.
2007
On August 15, in Peru, in the department of Ica, 161 kilometers from the capital Lima, the strongest earthquake in recent years occurred. As a result of tremors with a magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale, cities along the entire southern coast of the country were affected. At least 519 people were killed, and about 1.5 thousand people were injured. Almost 17 thousand people were left without electricity and telephone communications. The cities of the south coast, Chincha Alta, Pisco, Ica, as well as the capital Lima, suffered the most.
2006
On May 27, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on the island of Java in Indonesia killed 6,618 people. The city of Yogyakarta and its surrounding areas suffered the most. The earthquake destroyed about 200 thousand houses, seriously damaged the same number of buildings. About 647 thousand people were left without a roof over their heads.
2005 year
On October 8 in Pakistan, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale was the strongest for all the time of seismic observations in South Asia. According to official figures, more than 73,000 people died, including 17,000 children. According to some estimates, the death toll was more than 100 thousand people. More than three million Pakistanis were left homeless.
On March 28, off the coast of the Indonesian island of Nias, located west of Sumatra, a powerful earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale occurred. About 1300 people died.
2004
On December 26, one of the most powerful and destructive earthquakes in modern history occurred off the eastern coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The tidal wave caused by this 8.9 Richter earthquake hit the coast of Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia.
The total number of victims in the countries affected by the tsunami is still not known exactly, however, according to various sources, this figure is approximately 230 thousand people.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
TASS-DOSIER. On November 12, 2017, a strong earthquake hit the border between Iran and Iraq. One after the other, two strikes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.3, respectively, were recorded. The main blow fell on the provinces of Kermanshah and Ilam in western Iran.
As a result, according to preliminary data, more than 350 people died and more than 3,000 were injured.
The TASS-DOSIER editors have prepared material on the ten largest earthquakes of the 20th and 21st centuries. When compiling the rating, the officially confirmed death toll was taken into account.
January 12, 2010 at 21:53 UTC, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. Its hypocenter was in the sea, 25 km southwest of the capital city of Port-au-Prince, at a depth of 13 km. 316 thousand people died, more than 300 thousand were injured, 1.3 million were left homeless. 97 thousand houses were destroyed, 188 thousand buildings were damaged. The city of Port-au-Prince was almost completely destroyed. The economic damage amounted to $7.9 billion.
July 27, 1976 At 19:42 UTC, an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 struck the Chinese mining town of Tangshan, Hebei Province, 150 km east of Beijing. According to official figures, 242 thousand 769 people died (in the media it was suggested that the real number of victims could reach 800 thousand). Tangshan turned into ruins, destruction was also recorded in Tianjin and Beijing. In the region, all roads and about 400 km of railroad tracks were damaged, which made it difficult for rescue teams to arrive in the city. The economic damage amounted to $2 billion.
December 26, 2004 at 00:58 UTC, an earthquake hit the Indian Ocean. According to scientists, its magnitude ranged from 9.1 to 9.3. The hypocenter was located 160 km west of the island of Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km. There was a shift of tectonic plates over 1200 km, the resulting tsunami up to 10 meters high reached the coasts of Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, southern India and the east coast of Africa. As a result, according to various estimates, from 225 to 300 thousand people died in 14 countries, about 2.2 million were affected. The earthquake and tsunami caused numerous destruction, the economic damage to Thailand is estimated at $5 billion, India - $1.6 billion, Maldives - $1.3 billion, Indonesia - $4.5 billion, Sumatra - $675 million.
December 16, 1920 At 12:06 UTC, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck in the Chinese province of Gansu. The epicenter was in Haiyuan County. The fluctuations of the earth's crust led to destruction on an area of 67.5 thousand square meters. km, affecting seven provinces and regions. The earthquake was accompanied by numerous landslides and collapses, which buried entire villages under them. Numerous cracks formed on the surface, the length of the largest reached 200 km. Several rivers have changed course. According to various estimates, the total number of victims of the earthquake was 200-240 thousand people, about 20 thousand people died from the cold, having lost their homes.
September 1, 1923 At 2:58 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit Japan, dubbed the "Great Kanto Earthquake". The hypocenter was located 90 km southwest of Tokyo in the sea near Oshima Island. Many settlements were subjected to huge destruction, including Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka. Fires broke out in the cities, and in one of the squares in Tokyo alone, about 40,000 people suffocated from smoke. A 12-meter tsunami formed in Sagami Bay, which devastated coastal settlements.
In total, about 143 thousand people died, 542 thousand went missing, more than 694 thousand dwellings were destroyed or burned down. Material losses were estimated at $4.5 billion, which at that time amounted to two annual budgets of the country and five times the expenses of Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. The "Great Kanto Earthquake" is the most destructive in Japanese history.
October 5, 1948 At 20:12 UTC, an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurred in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan SSR). As a result, 90-98% of all buildings were destroyed, and the cities of Batir and Bezmein were also heavily damaged. In Soviet times, the exact number of victims was not called; in 2010, the President of Turkmenistan said that the earthquake claimed the lives of 176,000 residents of the republic, including 89% of Ashgabat residents. Since 1995, October 6 has been celebrated in Turkmenistan as the Day of Remembrance.
May 12, 2008 At 06:28 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit Sichuan, China. The epicenter was located in Wenchuan County, 80 km northwest of the provincial capital, Chengdu. The tremors were felt in Beijing (1500 km from the epicenter) and Shanghai (1700 km). The earthquake was also felt in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia and Russia. 87.6 thousand people became victims of the natural disaster, more than 370 thousand were injured. 15 million people were evacuated, more than 5 million were left homeless. In total, more than 45.5 million people were affected in 10 provinces. 5.36 million buildings were completely destroyed, more than 21 million were damaged. The total economic damage is estimated at $86 billion.
October 8, 2005 at 3:50 UTC, an earthquake occurred in South Asia - in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. The magnitude was 7.6. The epicenter was located 105 km northeast of the capital of Pakistan. In Pakistan, 86 thousand people died, more than 69 thousand people were injured. More than 32 thousand buildings were destroyed. In India, 1.3 thousand people became victims, 6.2 thousand were injured. More than 4 million people lost their homes. The Pakistani government estimated the damage at $5-12 billion. The earthquake was the most destructive in South Asia in the last 100 years. As a result, a 100 km long fault was formed, along which almost all structures were destroyed. The shocks were also felt in China, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.
December 28, 1908 at 4:20 UTC in the city of Messina on the island of Sicily (Italy), an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck. The epicenter was located in the Strait of Messina between Sicily and the Apennine Peninsula. Tremors caused a tsunami 6-12 meters high. As a result, the cities of Messina, Reggio Calabria and Palmi and about 20 other settlements were destroyed. 72 thousand people died (40% of the population of Messina and 25% of the inhabitants of Reggio Calabria). This earthquake is considered the strongest in the history of Europe. The crews of the Russian ships "Tsesarevich", "Slava", "Admiral Makarov" and "Bogatyr", which at that moment were in the port of Augusta in Sicily, took part in the analysis of the rubble and assistance to the population.
May 31, 1970 at 20:23 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck near Peru. The hypocenter was located in the Peru-Chile Trench in the Pacific Ocean, 25 km east of Chimbote, a major Peruvian fishing port. From the tremors from Mount Huascaran (height 6768 m), a glacier broke off, which caused a giant landslide of stones, ice and mud about 1.5 km long and more than 750 m wide. It collapsed at a speed of more than 200 km / h on the cities of Yungai, Karaz Ranrairka, destroying dozens of villages along the way. As a result of the earthquake and the landslide, about 70 thousand people died or went missing, more than 157 thousand were injured, 800 thousand were left homeless. The damage amounted to about $ 260 million.
Millions of years ago, powerful earthquakes occurred daily on our home planet - the formation of the habitual appearance of the Earth was going on. Today we can say that seismic activity practically does not disturb humanity.
However, sometimes violent activity in the bowels of the planet makes itself felt, and tremors lead to the destruction of buildings and the death of people. In today's selection, we bring to your attention 10 most destructive earthquakes in modern history.
The strength of the shocks reached 7.7 points. The earthquake in the province of Gilan led to the death of 40 thousand people, more than 6 thousand were injured. Significant destruction befell 9 cities and about 700 small towns.
9. Peru, May 31, 1970
The worst natural disaster in the history of the country claimed the lives of 67,000 Peruvians. A push with a power of 7.5 points lasted about 45 seconds. As a result, landslides and floods occurred over a wide area, which led to truly devastating consequences.
8. China, May 12, 2008
A powerful earthquake in Sichuan province had a force of 7.8 points and led to the death of 69 thousand people. About 18 thousand are still considered missing today, and more than 370 thousand were injured.
7. Pakistan, 8 October 2005
An earthquake measuring 7.6 killed 84,000 people. The epicenter of the disaster was located in the Kashmir region. As a result of the earthquake, a gap formed on the surface of the Earth, 100 km long.
6. Türkiye, December 27, 1939
The force of shocks during this devastating earthquake reached 8 points. Strong aftershocks lasted about a minute, and then followed by 7 so-called "aftershocks" - weaker echoes of the shaking. As a result of the disaster, 100 thousand people died.
5. Turkmen SSR, October 6, 1948
The strength of the shocks at the epicenter of the most powerful earthquake reached 10 points on the Richter scale. Ashgabat was almost completely destroyed, and, according to various estimates, from 100 to 165 thousand people became victims of the disaster. Every year on October 6, Turkmenistan celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Earthquake.
4. Japan, September 1, 1923
The Great Kanto Earthquake, as the Japanese call it, almost completely destroyed Tokyo and Yokohama. The force of the shocks reached 8.3 points, resulting in the death of 174 thousand people. The damage from the earthquake was estimated at $4.5 billion, which at that time was equal to two of the country's annual budgets.
3. Indonesia, 26 December 2004
A 9.3 magnitude underwater earthquake triggered a series of tsunamis that killed 230,000 people. As a result of the natural disaster, the countries of Asia, Indonesia and the east coast of Africa were affected.
2. China, July 28, 1976
An 8.2 magnitude earthquake has killed nearly 230,000 people near the Chinese city of Tangshan. Many international experts believe that official statistics have greatly underestimated the death toll, which could be as high as 800,000 people.
1. Haiti, January 12, 2010
Power the most devastating earthquake in 100 years was only 7 points, but the number of human victims exceeded 232 thousand. Several million Haitians were left homeless, and the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, was almost completely destroyed. As a result, people were forced to survive for many months in conditions of devastation and unsanitary conditions, which led to an outbreak of a number of serious infections, including cholera.
