Below is a list of the ten largest natural disasters in human history. The rating is based on the number of deaths.

Earthquake in Aleppo

Death toll: about 230,000

The ranking of the largest natural disasters in human history opens with the Aleppo earthquake of magnitude 8.5 on the Richter scale, which occurred in several stages near the city of Aleppo in northern Syria on October 11, 1138. It is often cited as the fourth-deadliest earthquake in history. According to the Damascus chronicler Ibn al-Qalanisi, approximately 230,000 people died as a result of this disaster.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

Number of victims: 225,000–300,000

An underwater earthquake that occurred on December 26, 2004 in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of North Sumatra, 250 kilometers southeast of the city of Banda Aceh. Considered one of the strongest earthquakes of the 20th–21st centuries. Its magnitude, according to various estimates, ranged from 9.1 to 9.3 on the Richter scale. Occurring at a depth of about 30 km, the earthquake caused a series of destructive tsunamis, the height of which exceeded 15 meters. These waves caused enormous destruction and took the lives of, according to various estimates, from 225 thousand to 300 thousand people in 14 countries. The coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand were hit the hardest by the tsunami.

Death toll: 171,000–230,000

Banqiao Dam is a dam on the Zhuhe River, Henan Province, China. On August 8, 1975, due to the powerful Typhoon Nina, the dam was destroyed, thereby causing flooding and a huge wave 10 km wide and 3–7 meters high. This disaster, according to various estimates, claimed the lives of from 171,000 to 230,000 people, of whom about 26,000 died directly from the flood. The rest died from subsequent epidemics and famine. In addition, 11 million people lost their homes.

Number of victims: 242,419

The Tangshan earthquake, measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale, is the deadliest earthquake of the 20th century. It happened on July 28, 1976 in Chinese city Tangshan at 3:42 local time. Its hypocenter was located near the millionaire industrial city at a depth of 22 km. The 7.1 aftershocks caused even more damage. According to the Chinese government, the death toll was 242,419 people, but according to other sources, about 800,000 inhabitants died, and another 164,000 were seriously injured. The earthquake also affected settlements located 150 kilometers from the epicenter, including Tianjin and Beijing. More than 5,000,000 houses were completely destroyed.

Flood in Kaifeng

Death toll: 300,000–378,000

The Kaifeng flood is a man-made disaster that primarily struck Kaifeng. This city is located on the southern bank of the Yellow River in the Chinese province of Henan. In 1642, the city was flooded by the Yellow River after the Ming Dynasty army opened the dams to prevent the advance of Li Zicheng's troops. Then the flood and subsequent famine and plague killed about 300,000–378,000 people.

Indian Cyclone – 1839

Death toll: over 300,000

Fifth place in the ranking of the largest natural disasters in history is occupied by the Indian cyclone of 1839. On November 16, 1839, a 12-meter wave caused by a powerful storm completely destroyed the large port city of Coringa, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. More than 300,000 people died then. After the disaster, the city was never rebuilt. Nowadays in its place there is a small village with a population (2011) of 12,495 inhabitants.

Death toll: approximately 830,000

This earthquake, measuring approximately 8.0 magnitude, occurred on January 23, 1556, in the Shaanxi province of China, during the Ming Dynasty. More than 97 districts were affected by it, everything was destroyed in an area of ​​840 km, and in some areas 60% of the population died. In total, the China earthquake killed approximately 830,000 people, more than any other earthquake in human history. The huge number of victims is due to the fact that the majority of the population of the province lived in loess caves, which were destroyed or flooded by mudflows immediately after the first tremors.

Number of victims: 300,000–500,000

the most destructive tropical cyclone in history, which struck the territories of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and the Indian state of West Bengal on November 12, 1970. It killed an estimated 300,000–500,000 people, mostly as a result of a 9m high surge that swamped many low-lying islands in the Ganges delta. The sub-districts of Thani and Tazumuddin were the hardest hit by the cyclone, killing more than 45% of the population.

Death toll: about 900,000

This devastating flood occurred on September 28, 1887 in Henan Province, China. The torrential rains that fell here for many days were to blame. Due to the rains, the water level in the Yellow River rose and destroyed a dam near the city of Zhengzhou. The water quickly spread throughout northern China, covering an area of ​​approximately 130,000 square meters. km, taking the lives of about 900 thousand people, and leaving approximately 2 million homeless.

Number of victims: 145,000–4,000,000

The world's largest natural disaster is the Chinese flood, or more precisely a series of floods that occurred in 1931 in South-Central China. This disaster was preceded by a drought that lasted from 1928 to 1930. However, the following winter was very snowy, there was a lot of rain in the spring, and during the summer months, the country suffered from heavy rains. All these facts contributed to the fact that the three largest rivers in China: the Yangtze, Huaihe, and Yellow River overflowed their banks, taking the lives of, according to various sources, from 145 thousand to 4 million people. Also, the largest natural disaster in history caused epidemics of cholera and typhoid, and also led to famine, during which cases of infanticide and cannibalism were recorded.

The volcano that destroyed ancient Pompeii cannot be responsible for the worst natural disaster in history, despite the fact that many films have been made and many songs have been sung on the subject. Modern natural disasters claim countless lives. Take a look at our grim list. It contains only the most terrible disasters of all time.

Earthquake in the Syrian city of Aleppo (1138)

Fortunately, these days the news reports do not shock us with giant faults in the Dead Sea area. Now there is a relatively stable tectonic relief. Syria experienced unprecedented cataclysms in the 12th century. Seismic activity in the north of the country continued for almost a year and ultimately resulted in a devastating cataclysm. In 1138, the city of Aleppo was completely destroyed, other settlements and military installations were damaged. In total, the disaster took the lives of 230,000 people.

Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami (2004)

This is the only event on the list that many of us caught. This tragedy is considered the deadliest ever modern history. It all started with an underwater earthquake of magnitude 9.3 off the coast of Indonesia. Then the disaster transformed into a violent tsunami, rushing to the shores of 11 countries. In total, 225,000 people died, and about a million more people along the Indian Ocean coast were left homeless. It's sad that this happened during the heyday of earthquake-resistant architectural technology, and not in the days of dugouts with thatched roofs.

Antioch earthquake (526)

People like to compare the potential end of the world to disasters of biblical proportions. The earthquake in Antioch is the only natural disaster that is more or less close to the biblical era. This natural disaster occurred in the first millennium after the birth of Christ. The Byzantine city experienced an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 between May 20 and May 29, 526. Due to the high population density (which was rare for the region at the time), 250,000 people died. The fires that arose as a result of the cataclysm also contributed to the increase in the number of victims.

Earthquake in Gansu Province of China (1920)

The next natural disaster on our list created a giant rift over 160 kilometers long. According to experts, the greatest damage was caused not by an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, but by landslides that carried entire cities underground and were main reason slowing down the provision of assistance. According to various estimates, the cataclysm claimed the lives of 230,000 to 273,000 inhabitants.

Tangshan Earthquake (1976)

Another terrible earthquake of the 20th century shows that the natural disaster itself is not as terrible as the imperfect infrastructure of the area in which it occurs. Tremors with a magnitude of 7.8 hit China's Tangshan on the night of July 28 and instantly leveled 92 percent of residential buildings in this million-strong city. Lack of food, water and other resources became the main obstacles in rescue efforts. In addition, railway tracks and bridges were destroyed, so there was nowhere to wait for help. Many victims died under the rubble.

Cyclone at Coringa, India (1839)

By the early 19th century, Coringa had become the main Indian port city at the mouth of the Godavari River. On the night of November 25, 1839, this title had to be relinquished. The cyclone that struck destroyed 20,000 ships and 300,000 people. Many victims were thrown into the open sea. Now there is a small village on the site of Coringa.

Cyclone Bhola, Bangladesh (1970)

The Bay of Bengal regularly experiences natural disasters, but none was more devastating than Cyclone Bhola. Hurricane wind gusts on November 11, 1970 reached 225 kilometers per hour. Due to extreme poverty in the region, no one was able to warn the population of the impending danger. As a result, the cyclone destroyed more than half a million lives.

Chinese earthquake (1556)

Despite the fact that in the 16th century a system for assessing the magnitude of tremors had not yet been introduced, historians have calculated that the earthquake that occurred in China in 1556 could have had a magnitude of 8.0 - 8.5. It so happened that the densely populated area took the brunt of the attack. The disaster created deep canyons that forever trapped more than 800,000 people.

Flood on the Yellow River (1887)

One of the largest rivers in the world is responsible for more deaths than all other rivers combined. In 1887, the deadliest flood was recorded, which was exacerbated by heavy rains and the destruction of dams in the Changshu area. The flooded low-lying plains claimed the lives of about two million Chinese.

Flood on the Yangtze River (1931)

A record natural disaster occurred with the onset of heavy rains and flooding on the Yangtze River in April 1931. This natural disaster, coupled with dysentery and other diseases, claimed about three million lives. In addition, the destruction of rice fields caused widespread famine.

October 13 marks the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction - which is no occasion to remember the most terrible and deadly natural disasters in human history.

Earthquake in Syria. 1202

The earthquake of 1202, the epicenter of which was in the Dead Sea, was not so much powerful as it was long-lasting and large-scale - it was felt over a vast territory located between Syria and Armenia. The exact number of deaths is unknown - in the 13th century no one kept a population count, but even according to the most conservative estimates, the earthquake claimed the lives of more than a million people.

Earthquake in China. 1556

One of the most destructive earthquakes in human history - in China - occurred on January 23, 1556. Its epicenter was in the area of ​​the right tributary of the Yellow River, Weihe, and it affected 97 districts in several Chinese provinces. The earthquake was accompanied by landslides, landslides and changes in river beds, which, in turn, led to floods, and the destruction of houses and temples led to severe fires. As a result of the disaster, the soil liquefied and pulled buildings and people underground; its impact was felt even at a distance of 500 kilometers from the epicenter. The earthquake killed 830 thousand people.

Earthquake and tsunami in Portugal. 1755

The infamous Lisbon earthquake began on November 1, 1755 at nine o'clock in the morning - only twenty minutes passed from the first tremors in the sea to the moment when a 15-meter tsunami covered the central embankment of the city. Most of its inhabitants were at church services - celebrating All Saints' Day, so they had no chance of salvation. Fires started in Lisbon and lasted for ten days. In addition to the capital, sixteen more Portuguese cities were damaged, and neighboring Setubal was almost completely washed away by the tsunami. The victims of the earthquake were from 40 to 60 thousand people. Architectural gems such as the Opera House and the Royal Palace, as well as the paintings of Caravaggio, Titian and Rubens, were lost.

Great Hurricane. 1780

The Great Hurricane - or Hurricane San Calixto II - is the most powerful and deadliest tropical cyclone in human history. It originated in early October 1780 in the Cape Verde Islands and raged for a week. On October 10, at a speed of 320 kilometers per hour, San Calixto II struck Barbados, Martinique, St. Lucia and St. Eustatius, leaving thousands of dead everywhere. The islands of Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua and St. Kitts were also affected. The great hurricane destroyed houses to the ground and tore ships from their anchors and smashed them against the rocks, and heavy cannons flew in the air like matches. As for human casualties, a total of 27 thousand people died during the rampage of San Calixto II.

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History knows several eruptions of the Krakatoa volcano, but the most destructive was the one that happened on August 27, 1883. Then, as a result of the most powerful explosion in the history of mankind, 20 cubic kilometers of stones and ash and a jet of steam 11 meters high literally tore apart a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait - between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Shock waves circled around seven times Globe and created a tsunami 36 meters high that hit the coast, killing 36 thousand people. In total, 200 thousand people died as a result of the Krakatoa eruption.

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Several floods in China, following one after another, claimed a total of 4 (!) million lives. Historians believe that this is the largest and most tragic natural disaster in human history. In August 1931, the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, overflowing their banks as a result of prolonged rains, destroyed the dams holding them back and began to flow, sweeping away everything in their path. The water completely destroyed Agriculture in several dozen provinces, and the city of Gaoyu, located on the shore of the lake, was completely washed away. But the most terrible thing was the human sacrifice: those who did not die from the water died from devastation, hunger and epidemics.

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On May 31, 1970, due to an earthquake, the epicenter of which was in the Pacific Ocean, a rock-ice avalanche broke off from Mount Huascarana in Peru and, moving at a speed of a thousand kilometers per hour, covered the towns of Ranragirk and Yungay located in the valley of the Rio Santa River - all that was left of them was a cemetery with the figure of Christ hovering above it. In just a few minutes, the avalanche wiped them and several other small villages, including the ports of Kasma and Chimbote, off the face of the earth. The result of the cataclysm: 70 thousand dead, among whom were Czech climbers who were planning to conquer the Andes, and 150 thousand wounded. The memory of those whose lives were taken by the avalanche was honored in Peru with eight days of mourning.

Cyclone Bhola. 1970

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George Harrison at a charity concert in Bangladesh.

Tropical Cyclone Bhola is one of the worst natural disasters of the 20th century. On November 13, 1970, a wave 15 (!) meters high hit the islands and coast of East Pakistan, washing away entire settlements and agricultural land along its path. In a short time, 500 thousand people died - mostly elderly people and children. The disaster had political consequences: riots began, the participants of which accused the Pakistani government of inaction and slow elimination of the consequences. Started Civil War between East Pakistan and the central government, which resulted in the declaration of independence of Bangladesh.

The whole world helped restore the affected areas. One of the most famous charity events was the concert organized by George Harrison: inviting many famous performers, he raised a quarter of a million dollars in one day.

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It's hot in Europe. 2003

The heat wave that hit the continent in 2003 - the hottest summer since the end of World War II - caught European health systems by surprise, which were unprepared for the stress when... medical care Not tens, but hundreds and thousands of people were in need. Countries such as France, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Croatia and Bulgaria were particularly affected. Temperatures in some areas did not drop below +40°C. The first to be hit were the elderly, as well as allergy sufferers and those who suffered from cardiovascular diseases. In total, about 70 thousand people died on the European continent that summer.

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Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. 2004

Along with the European heatwave of 2003, many people also remember the tsunami in the Indian Ocean that happened a year and a half later - Ukrainian citizens were among the dead. The deadly wave was the result of the largest earthquake in the history of the Indian Ocean, which occurred on December 26, 2004. Its magnitude on the Richter scale was 9. As a result, a tsunami was formed, the height of which in the coastal zone was 15 meters, and in the splash zone - 30 meters. An hour and a half after the earthquake, it reached the shores of Thailand, two hours later - Sri Lanka and India, and claimed the lives of 250 thousand people.

No matter how far scientific and technological progress goes, disasters have happened, are happening and will probably continue to happen for a long time. Some of them could have been avoided, but most of the worst events in the world were inevitable because they happened at the behest of Mother Nature.

The worst plane crash

Collision of two Boeing 747s

Humanity does not know of a more terrible plane crash than the one that occurred on March 27, 1977 on the island of Tenerife, which belongs to the Canary group. On this day, at Los Rodeo airport, a collision occurred between two Boeing 747s, one of which belonged to KLM, the other to Pan American. This terrible tragedy claimed 583 lives. The reasons that led to this disaster are a fatal and paradoxical combination of circumstances.

Los Rodeos airport was seriously overloaded on this ill-fated Sunday. The dispatcher spoke with a strong Spanish accent, and the radio communications suffered from serious interference. Because of this, the Boeing commander, KLM, misinterpreted the command to abort the flight, which became the fatal cause of the collision of two maneuvering aircraft.

Only a few passengers managed to escape through the holes created in the Pan American plane. The wings and tail of another Boeing fell off, which led to a fall one hundred and fifty meters from the accident site, after which it was dragged for another three hundred meters. Both flying cars caught fire.

There were 248 passengers on board the Boeing KLM, none of whom survived. The Pan American plane became the site of the death of 335 people, including the entire crew, as well as the famous model and actress Eve Meyer.

The worst man-made disaster

On July 6, 1988, the worst of all disasters occurred in the North Sea, famous history oil production. It happened on the Piper Alpha oil platform, which was built in 1976. The number of victims was 167 people, the company suffered a loss of about three and a half billion dollars.

The most offensive thing is that the number of victims could have been much lower if not for ordinary human stupidity. There was a large gas leak, followed by an explosion. But instead of stopping the oil supply immediately after the accident began, the maintenance personnel waited for management's command.

The countdown went on for minutes, and soon the entire platform of the Occidental Petroleum Corporation was engulfed in fire, even the living quarters caught fire. Those who could have survived the blast were burned alive. Only those who managed to jump into the water survived.

Worst water accident ever

When the topic of tragedies on the water is raised, one involuntarily recalls the film “Titanic”. Moreover, such a catastrophe really happened. But this shipwreck is not the worst in the history of mankind.

Wilhelm Gustloff

The sinking of the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff is rightfully considered the biggest disaster that occurred on the water. The tragedy occurred on January 30, 1945. The culprit was a submarine Soviet Union, which hit a ship that could accommodate almost 9,000 passengers.

This, at that time, a perfect product of shipbuilding, was made in 1938. It seemed unsinkable and housed 9 decks, restaurants, a winter garden, climate control, gyms, theaters, dance floors, swimming pools, a church and even Hitler’s rooms.

Its length was more than two hundred meters, it could sail half the planet without refueling. The ingenious creation could not sink without outside intervention. And it happened in the person of the crew of the submarine S-13, commanded by A. I. Marinesko. Three torpedoes were fired at the legendary ship. In a matter of minutes he found himself in the abyss of the Baltic Sea. All crew members were killed, including about 8,000 representatives of the German military elite who were evacuated from Danzig.

Wreck of the Wilhelm Gustloff (video)

The greatest environmental tragedy

Shrunken Aral Sea

Among all the environmental disasters leading place The Aral Sea is drying up. In their better times it was the fourth largest among all the lakes in the world.

The disaster occurred due to the unreasonable use of water used to water gardens and fields. The drying out was due to the ill-considered political ambitions and actions of the leaders of those times.

Gradually, the coastline moved far into the sea, which led to the extinction of most species of flora and fauna. In addition, droughts began to become more frequent, the climate changed significantly, shipping became impossible, and more than sixty people were left without work.

Where did the Aral Sea disappear: strange symbols on the dry bottom (VIDEO)

Nuclear disaster

What could be worse than a nuclear disaster? The lifeless kilometers of the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl region are the embodiment of these fears. The accident occurred in 1986, when one of the power units of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded early on an April morning.

Chernobyl 1986

This tragedy claimed the lives of several hundred tow truck workers, and thousands died over the next ten years. And only God knows how many people were forced to leave their homes...

The children of these people are still born with developmental anomalies. Atmosphere, land and water around nuclear power plant contaminated with radioactive substances.

Radiation levels in this region are still thousands of times higher than normal. No one knows how long it will take for people to settle in these places. The scale of this disaster is still not fully known.

Chernobyl accident 1986: Chernobyl, Pripyat - liquidation (VIDEO)

Disaster over the Black Sea: Tu-154 of the Russian Ministry of Defense crashed

Crash of Tu-154 of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

Not long ago there was a crash of a Tu-154 aircraft of the Russian Ministry of Defense en route to Syria. It claimed the lives of 64 talented artists of the Alexandrov ensemble, nine famous leading TV channels, the head of a charitable organization - the famous Doctor Lisa, eight military personnel, two civil servants, and all crew members. A total of 92 people died in this terrible plane crash.

On this tragic morning in December 2016, the plane refueled in Adler, but unexpectedly crashed just after takeoff. The investigation took a long time, because it was necessary to know what the cause of the Tu-154 crash was.

The commission that investigated the causes of the accident named overloading of the plane, fatigue of the crew and low professional level of training and organization of the flight among the circumstances leading to the disaster.

Results of the investigation into the Tu-154 crash of the Russian Ministry of Defense (VIDEO)

Submarine "Kursk"

Submarine "Kursk"

The sinking of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk, in which 118 people on board were killed, occurred in 2000 in the Barents Sea. This is the second largest accident in the history of the Russian submarine fleet after the disaster on the B-37.

On August 12, as planned, preparations for training attacks began. The last written confirmed actions on the boat were recorded at 11.15.

A few hours before the tragedy, the crew commander was informed about the cotton, which he did not pay attention to. Then the boat shook violently, which was attributed to the activation of the radar station antenna. After that, the boat captain no longer contacted us. At 23.00 the situation on the submarine was declared as an emergency, which was reported to the leadership of the fleet and the country. The next morning, as a result of search operations, the Kursk was found at the bottom of the sea at a depth of 108 m.

The official version of the cause of the tragedy is the explosion of a training torpedo, which occurred as a result of a fuel leak.

Submarine Kursk: what really happened? (VIDEO)

Wreck of the ship "Admiral Nakhimov"

The wreck of the passenger ship "Admiral Nakhimov" occurred in August 1981 near Novorossiysk. There were 1,234 people on board the ship, 423 of whom lost their lives on that fateful day. It is known that Vladimir Vinokur and Lev Leshchenko were late for this flight.

At 23:12, the ship collided with the dry cargo ship "Petr Vasev", as a result of which the electric generator was flooded and the light went out on the "Nakhimov". The ship became uncontrollable and continued to move forward by inertia. As a result of the collision, a hole of up to eighty square meters was formed in the starboard side. Panic began among the passengers; many climbed onto the left side and thus descended into the water.

Almost a thousand people ended up in the water, and they were also dirty with fuel oil and paint. Eight minutes after the collision, the ship sank.

Steamer Admiral Nakhimov: shipwreck - Russian Titanic (VIDEO)

Oil platform that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico

The worst environmental disasters in the world in 2010 were joined by another one that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, eighty kilometers from Louisiana. This is one of the most dangerous man-made accidents for the environment. It happened on April 20 on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform.

As a result of pipe rupture, about five million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.

A spot measuring 75,000 square meters formed in the bay. km, which amounted to five percent of its total area. The disaster took the lives of 11 people and injured 17.

Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico (VIDEO)

Concordia crash

On January 14, 2012, the list of the worst incidents in the world was supplemented with one more. Near Italian Tuscany, the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran into a rock outcropping, leaving a hole seventy meters in size. At this time, most of the passengers were in the restaurant.

The right side of the liner began to submerge in the water, then it was thrown onto a sandbank 1 km from the crash site. There were more than 4,000 people on the ship who were evacuated throughout the night, but not everyone was saved: 32 people were still killed and a hundred were injured.

Costa Concordia – the crash through the eyes of eyewitnesses (VIDEO)

Eruption of Krakatoa in 1883

Natural disasters show how insignificant and helpless we are in the face of natural phenomena. But all the worst disasters in the world are nothing compared to the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano, which occurred in 1883.

On May 20, a large smoke column could be seen above the Krakatoa volcano. At that moment, even at a distance of 160 kilometers from him, the windows of houses began to tremble. All the nearby islands were covered with a thick layer of dust and pumice.

Eruptions continued until August 27. The final explosion culminated in sound waves that circled the entire planet several times. At that moment, the compasses on the ships sailing in the Sunda Strait stopped showing correctly.

These explosions led to the submersion of the entire northern part of the island. The seabed rose as a result of the eruptions. Much ash from the volcano remained in the atmosphere for another two to three years.

The tsunami, which was thirty meters high, washed away about three hundred settlements and killed 36,000 people.

The most powerful eruption of Krakatoa Volcano (VIDEO)

Earthquake in Spitak in 1988

On December 7, 1988, the list of “Best Disasters in the World” was replenished with another one that occurred in the Armenian Spitak. On this tragic day, tremors literally “wiped” this city from the face of the earth in just half a minute, destroying Leninakan, Stepanavan and Kirovakan beyond recognition. In total, twenty-one cities and three hundred and fifty villages were affected.

In Spitak itself, the earthquake had a force of ten, Leninakan was struck by a force of nine, and Kirovakan was struck by a force of eight, and almost the rest of Armenia was hit by a force of six. Seismologists estimate that this earthquake released the energy equivalent to the force of ten exploding atomic bombs. The wave that this tragedy caused was recorded by scientific laboratories almost all over the world.

This natural disaster deprived 25,000 people of their lives, 140,000 of their health, and 514,000 of their homes. Forty percent of the republic's industry was out of order, schools, hospitals, theaters, museums, cultural centers, roads and railways were destroyed.

Military personnel, doctors, and public figures throughout the country and abroad, both near and far, were called to help. Humanitarian aid was actively collected around the world. Tents, field kitchens and first aid stations were set up throughout the area affected by the tragedy.

The saddest and most instructive thing about this situation is that the scale and casualties of this terrible disaster could have been many times smaller if the seismic activity of the region had been taken into account and all buildings had been built taking these features into account. The lack of preparedness of the rescue services also contributed.

Tragic days: earthquake in Spitak (VIDEO)

2004 Tsunami Indian Ocean - Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka

In December 2004, a devastating tsunami of terrible force caused by an underwater earthquake hit the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and other countries. Huge waves devastated the area and killed 200,000 people. The most annoying thing is that most of the dead are children, since in this region there is a high proportion of children to the population, moreover, children are physically weaker and less able to resist water than an adult.

Aceh province in Indonesia suffered the greatest losses. Almost all buildings there were destroyed, 168,000 people died.

Geographically, this earthquake was simply huge. Up to 1200 kilometers of rock have moved. The shift occurred in two phases with an interval of two to three minutes.

The number of victims turned out to be so high because there was no common system alerts.

There is nothing worse than disasters and tragedies that deprive people of life, shelter, health, destroy industry and everything that a person has worked on for many years. But it often turns out that the number of casualties and destruction in such situations could have been much less if everyone had been conscientious about their professional responsibilities; in some cases, it was necessary to provide in advance an evacuation plan and a warning system for local residents. Let's hope that in the future humanity will find a way to avoid such terrible tragedies or reduce the damage from them.

Tsunami in Indonesia 2004 (VIDEO)

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2.12.2018 at 23:03 · oksioksi · 2 240

10 worst natural disasters in the world

The history of mankind has undergone a large number of disasters with various natural disasters. Some occurred so long ago that most scientists cannot estimate the extent of the destruction.

Natural disasters are extremely unpredictable, highly destructive and often overwhelming. That is why people fear them the most. We present to your attention a list of some of the most horrific natural and man-made disasters that have claimed many human lives.

10. Banqiao Dam

In 1952, there was a disaster at Banqiao, a dam made of soil that was built to protect against flooding. During the construction of the dam, gross mistakes were made; as a result, the dam was covered with microcracks, and later could not withstand the pressure of tropical hurricane Nina. As a result, the flood killed 26 thousand people. Seven areas in China were flooded, with the few remaining communications destroyed after the rain.

A dangerous disease with famine quickly spread among the survivors, and the consequences of the disaster claimed another 170-220 thousand people.

9. Indian cyclone - 1839

On November 25, 1839, a cyclone and storm occurred in India, which destroyed the city of Coringa. He destroyed almost everything he came into contact with. 2 thousand ships that were in the bay were destroyed. The city was not restored. The storm wave that the cyclone raised washed away almost 300 thousand people.

The incident was one of the worst floods ever to hit the typhoon-ravaged area. The ancient city of Coringa was never restored.

8. Flood in Kaifeng

The year 1642 was marked by a tragedy - a flood in Kaifeng, a man-made catastrophic event. Kaifeng was located on the southern banks of the river. Yellow River. The city was covered with yellow river waters immediately after the Ming Dynasty army ordered the dams to be opened to prevent the advance of Li Jicheng's troops. Then the subsequent famine with plague and flood claimed the lives of 300-380 thousand people.

7. Earthquake in Aleppo

One of the horrific natural disasters that ever occurred in nature was the earthquake in Aleppo in October 1138. According to some estimates, more than 230 thousand people died. In those ancient times, Aleppo was the largest urban center. The city was located along major geological faults. After the earthquake, the population of Aleppo was able to recover closer to the beginning of the 19th century.

6. Chinese earthquake - 1556

In 1556, one of the most destructive earthquakes recorded in historical reference books occurred, which occurred on January 23, 1556 in the Shaanxi region. Historical reference books believe that the tragedy claimed the lives of more than 820 thousand people.

In some areas of Shaanxi no one was left alive at all, while in others more than half the population died. Such human losses were due to the fact that more people lived in caves that collapsed as a result of the tremors.

5. 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

The third largest earthquake in history was the Indian Ocean earthquake at the end of December 2004. This resulted in a very large wave that caused great damage. Scientists estimated the amplitude of the earthquake at 9.1-9.3 points.

The source of the earthquake was recorded under water; large waves, approximately 15 meters high, reached the coast of Thailand, southern India and Indonesia. Many territories suffered greatly, the earthquake caused a lot of destruction, the exact losses are unknown, according to rough estimates it is 220-300 thousand people.

4. Tangshan earthquake

In the provincial Chinese town of Hebei in 1976, the strongest earthquake of the 20th century occurred. According to official statistics from the PRC authorities, disasters have the following indicators: the number of deaths was estimated at 250 thousand, an earthquake with a fluctuation magnitude of 7.9. Unofficial calculations revealed that the number of victims is 650-800 thousand people.

The epicenter of the earthquake occurred at a depth of 22 kilometers. The city collapsed almost to the ground in a couple of tens of seconds. About 800 thousand people were injured with varying degrees of severity.

3. Cyclone Bhola

November 1970 was marked by tragic events with dire consequences. Almost 500 thousand people died as a result of the storm's tidal wave on the coast of East Pakistan.

The typhoon was truly fatal, as the map of states changed significantly. Due to sharp criticism of the authorities for slow actions in eliminating the consequences of the hurricane, the Eastern opposition party won the elections. After this, a protracted confrontation began, which led to military conflicts. As a result, Bangladesh was formed.

2. Floods on the Yellow River in 1887

Flood on the river The Yellow River in the late spring of 1887 became one of the most terrifying in historical records. According to some sources, 1.4 - 2 million people died. Disasters occurred in the northern provinces of China in the Yellow River Valley. Heavy rain in almost all areas of the Yellow River provoked flooding on the river, leading to flooding of 50 thousand square meters. miles around. Peasants, aware of the peculiarities of frequent flooding of the Yellow River, built dams that saved them from annual flooding. However, that year the river demolished everything in its path.

1. Flood in China - 1931

China's long dry summer brought heavy summer monsoon rains with a tropical cyclone. The result was rivers overflowing their banks, which flooded about 333 thousand hectares of land, at least 40 million people were left without homes and with huge crop losses. In large areas the water did not drain for 3 to 6 months. Diseases, lack of food, lack of a roof over their heads - all this led to great losses, according to some estimates up to 4 million people.

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