Deadliest earthquakes in recent times
Earthquakes can be one of the deadliest natural disasters. Earthquakes occurred do to the shaking of the Earth's surface caused by a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves.
A major earthquake of magnitude 7.9 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria on today (6 February), killing more than 300 people and injuring hundreds as buildings collapsed, and triggering searches across the snowy region for survivors trapped in the rubble. The quake, which struck in the early darkness of a winter morning, was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon. The death toll is expected to rise.
However, Monday's earthquake wasn't the deadliest one ever recorded – both in terms of death toll and magnitude.
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The 1960 Valdivia earthquake on 22 May 1960 was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. Various studies have placed it at 9.4–9.6 on the moment magnitude scale. Approximately 1,655 people were killed in that earthquake.
Here are the deadliest earthquakes in recent times based on the United States Geological Survey and Statista data -
Indian Ocean earthquake (2004)
In terms of fatalities, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was the most destructive event with around 227,898 fatalities.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1–9.3 moment magnitude scale (Mw) struck with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia on 26 December 2004.
It was caused by a rupture along the fault between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate, and reached a Mercalli intensity of up to IX in some areas.
The earthquake caused massive tsunami with waves up to 100-feet high and devastated communities along the surrounding coasts of the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries in one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
Haiti earthquake (2010)
An earthquake 7.0 Mw magnitude struck Haiti on 12 January 2010.
The epicenter was near the town of Leogane, Ouest department, approximately 25 kilometres from Haiti's capital.
According to media reports, death toll caused by the earthquake is estimated to be at least 220,000.
China earthquake (2008)
On 12 May, 2008 and earthquake measuring at 7.9 Mw hit China's Sichuan. the earthquake's epicenter was located 80 kilometres (50 mi) west-northwest of Chengdu, the provincial capital.
It left at least 87,587 people dead.
The earthquake was also felt as far away as both Beijing and Shanghai—1,500 and 1,700 km away, respectively—where office buildings swayed with the tremor, as well as Bangkok, Thailand and Hanoi, Vietnam.
Kashmir earthquake (2005)
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake occurred on 8 October in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir. It was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad,
It registered a moment magnitude of 7.6. Over 86,000 people died, a similar number were injured, and millions were displaced.
The earthquake was also felt in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, India, and in China's Xinjiang region.
Iran earthquake (2003)
On 26 December, 2003, an earthquake struck the Kerman province of southeastern Iran.
The shock had a moment magnitude of 6.6. The earthquake was particularly destructive in Bam, with the death toll amounting to at least 34,000 people and injuring up to 200,000.
Japan earthquake (2011)
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on 11 March, 2011, causing a tsunami that resulted in over 15,000 deaths and over 6,000 missing.
The earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, 72 km east of the Oshika Peninsula of Japan's Tohoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes, causing a tsunami.
Mexico City earthquake (2017)
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Mexico City on 19 September, 2017. It killed over 300 people and left thousands injured.
Nepal earthquake (2015)
On 25 April, 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal.
It killed over 8,000 people and injuring more than 20,000.
Indonesia earthquake (2018)
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia on 28 September, 2018, causing a tsunami that killed over 4,300 people and injured thousands.
Indonesia earthquake (2022)
A 5.6 Mw earthquake struck near Cianjur in West Java, Indonesia on 21 November 2022.
The earthquake left between 335 and 635 people died, 7,729 were injured.
