An earthquake is one of the natural disasters that can go unnoticed, or can strike all living things. On December 2, 1859, on the territory of modern Azerbaijan, which at that time was part of the Russian Empire, the second most severe destruction occurred in Shamakhi, when the city was almost completely in ruins. On the 155th anniversary of the sad events, I propose to dwell on the most severe earthquakes in the history of the USSR.
Crimea, 1927
One of the most violent events in the history of the Black Sea coast occurred on the afternoon of June 26, 1927. The force of the shocks was 6 points on the Richter scale. Despite the fact that the natural disaster did not bring significant destruction or casualties, as a result of the panic that arose in some places, there were casualties. The local fishing population noted boiling sea water and loud noise. And a little over two months later, Crimea was overtaken by a new “wrath of God.”
A magnitude 9 earthquake destroyed Yalta and swept along the entire Black Sea coast. In Sevastopol, Simferopol and Alushta the tremors reached 7 points, in Feodosia and Evpatoria - 6 points, in Kerch - 5 points. 17 thousand people were left without housing, some villages were completely destroyed, and the famous Swallow was damaged. Severe landslides and landslides occurred in the mountains of Crimea. Over 3 days, 200 tremors were recorded. Large columns of smoke and fire appeared in the sea near Sevastopol. Despite the damage caused by the natural disaster to the economy of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which amounted to about 50 million rubles, by the summer season of 1928 the roads, sanatoriums, hotels and museums of Crimea were again ready to receive vacationers. However, the devastating earthquake played a negative role, contributing to the image of the resort. The south coast was considered an unsafe place to spend holidays. The reporting documents of Soviet tourist organizations for 1928 stated “a general decrease of 35% in arrivals to Crimea.”
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 1948
It was the most destructive earthquake on the territory of the Soviet Union. On the night of October 6, the tremors were so strong that they exceeded the mark of 9 points, the magnitude of the impacts was 7.3. In the capital of Turkmenistan, 90–98% of all buildings were destroyed. According to various estimates, about 176 thousand people. The nearby towns of Batir and Bezmein were damaged. Analyzing the consequences of the disaster, experts concluded that such severe destruction was the result of an unfortunate combination of unfavorable factors, first of all, the low level of construction work, poor quality of wall masonry and fragile materials.
Kamchatka, 1952
On November 5, 1952, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 to 9 occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 130 kilometers from the coast of Kamchatka. It caused a tsunami 14 meters high, which destroyed Severo-Kurilsk. The second 18-meter wave took people by surprise, killing 2,336 people, almost half of the city's population. It was after this disaster that the government decided to create a Tsunami Warning System in the country.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 1966
On April 26, the capital of Uzbekistan was awakened by earthquakes of magnitude 8, accompanied by a strong rumble. The center of Tashkent turned into ruins, 9 people were killed, 15 people were seriously injured, 78,000 people lost their homes. Not only residential buildings were damaged, but also 236 administrative buildings, about 700 retail and public catering facilities, 26 public utilities, 181 educational institutions, 36 cultural institutions, 185 medical and 245 industrial buildings. By decision of the government, instead of restoring the destroyed old one-story adobe houses, new modern multi-story buildings were built in their place. The city was completely restored in 3.5 years.
Spitak, Armenia, 1988
On December 7, 1988, a real disaster occurred in Armenia. The strongest earthquake affected about 40% of the country. The most powerful tremors were felt in Spitak, which destroyed the city to the ground and demolished 58 villages. Under the rubble of buildings, 25 thousand people died, 514 thousand were left homeless. The nearby cities of Leninakan, Stepanavan, Kirovakan and more than 300 other settlements were partially damaged. The total damage to the republic's economy from the earthquake amounted to about 10 billion rubles.
The danger of such a natural phenomenon as an earthquake is assessed 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 have not yet disappeared into the dust of centuries, at least 3 earthquakes with a magnitude of 12 have occurred.
- Tragedy in Chile, 1960.
- Destruction in Mongolia, 1957.
- Tremors in the Himalayas, 1950.
In first place in the ranking, which contains the most powerful earthquakes in the world, is 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. 10 thousand people are considered dead in this terrible disaster; 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 geological processes that would not be visible under normal circumstances. The high mountains in the mountain ranges ceased to exist, the peaks collapsed, and the usual pattern of the mountains was disrupted.
The tremors in populated areas were increasing 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 have occurred in recent times are 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, which occurred 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 is an absolute record for the number of human casualties, which 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. In other places, mudflows constantly occurred, or the ground 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
A terrible tragedy that 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
The ten disasters of the 20th century that claimed the greatest number of 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 claimed a large number of 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. The exact number of victims is impossible to calculate, 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
In 2010, Haiti experienced its first major earthquake after almost 260 years of calm. The national fund of the republics received the greatest damage: 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 are located far from densely populated areas, which eliminates the possibility of large destruction and casualties.
The largest earthquakes in Russia, however, are also inscribed in the tragic history of 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 the settlement 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.
1. On January 12, 2010, at 21:53 UTC, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred in Haiti. Its hypocenter (central point) was located in the sea, 25 km southwest of the capital of Haiti, 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. Economic damage amounted to $7.9 billion.
2. On July 27, 1976 at 19:42 UTC, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred in the area of the Chinese mining town of Tangshan, Hebei Province, 150 km east of Beijing. According to official data, 242 thousand 769 people died (the media suggested that the real number of victims could reach 800 thousand). Tangshan was turned into ruins, destruction was also recorded in Tianjin and Beijing. All roads and about 400 km of railway tracks in the region were damaged, which made it difficult for rescue teams to arrive in the city. Economic damage amounted to $2 billion.
3. On December 26, 2004, at 00:58 UTC, an earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean. Scientists estimate its magnitude to be between 9.1 and 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 in 14 countries were killed, about 2.2 million were injured. The earthquake and tsunami caused numerous destruction, the economic damage to Thailand is estimated at $5 billion, India - $1.6 billion, the Maldives - $1.3 billion, Indonesia - $4.5 billion, Sumatra Islands - $675 million.
4. On December 16, 1920, at 12:06 UTC, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred in Gansu Province, China. The epicenter was in Haiyuan County. Powerful vibrations of the earth's crust led to destruction over an area of 67.5 thousand square meters. km, affecting 7 provinces and regions. The earthquake was accompanied by numerous landslides and landslides that buried entire villages. Numerous cracks formed on the surface, the largest of which reached 200 km in length. Several rivers changed their 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 shelter.
5. On September 1, 1923, at 2:58 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred in Japan, called the Great Kanto Earthquake. The hypocenter was located 90 km southwest of Tokyo in the sea near Oshima Island. Many populated areas, including Tokyo, Yokohama, and Yokosuka, suffered enormous destruction. Fires started in the cities; in Tokyo alone, about 40 thousand people suffocated from smoke in one of the squares. A 12-meter tsunami formed in Sagami Bay, devastating coastal settlements. In total, about 143 thousand people died, 542 thousand were missing, more than 694 thousand homes were destroyed or burned down. Material losses were estimated at $4.5 billion, which at that time amounted to two of the country's annual budgets and five times higher than Japan's expenses in the Russo-Japanese War. The Great Kanto Earthquake is the most destructive in Japanese history.
6. On October 5, 1948, at 20:12 UTC, an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurred in Ashgabat (Turkmen SSR). As a result, 90-98% of all buildings were destroyed, and the cities of Batir and Bezmein were also severely damaged. In Soviet times, the exact number of victims was not known; in 2010, the President of Turkmenistan stated that the earthquake claimed the lives of 176 thousand residents of the republic, including 89 percent of Ashgabat residents. Since 1995, October 6 is celebrated in Turkmenistan as Remembrance Day.
7. On May 12, 2008, at 6:28 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred in Sichuan Province, China. The epicenter was located in Wenchuan County, 80 km northwest of the capital of Sichuan Province, Chengdu. The tremors were felt in Beijing (1,500 km from the epicenter) and Shanghai (1,700 km), and evacuations from office buildings began in these cities. The earthquake was felt in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia and Russia. The disaster killed 87,587 people, and more than 370 thousand were injured. 15 million people were evacuated from their homes, 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 loss is estimated at $86 billion.
8. On October 8, 2005, at 3:50 UTC, an earthquake occurred in South Asia - 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 were killed and more than 69 thousand people were injured. More than 32 thousand buildings were destroyed. In India, 1,350 people were killed and 6,266 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. Tremors were also felt in China, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.
9. December 28, 1908 at 4:20 UTC in the city of Messina on the island. An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 occurred in Sicily (Italy). The epicenter was located in the Strait of Messina between Sicily and the Apennine Peninsula. The 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 clearing the rubble and helping the population.
10. On May 31, 1970, at 20:23 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred near Peru. The hypocenter was located in the Peru-Chile deep-sea trench in the Pacific Ocean, 25 km east of Chimbote, a major Peruvian fishing port. The tremors caused a glacier to fall from Mount Huascaran (height 6768 m), which caused a giant landslide of stones, ice and mud about 1.5 km long and more than 750 m wide. It fell at a speed of more than 200 km/h on the cities of Yungay, Karaz and Ranrairka, destroying dozens of villages along the way. As a result of the earthquake and landslide, about 70 thousand people were killed or missing, more than 157 thousand were injured, 800 thousand were left homeless. The damage amounted to about $260 million.
At least 248 people have been killed and hundreds more may remain trapped after a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck central Mexico. Russian citizens in Mexico were not injured, although information appeared that several diplomats from the Russian Federation lost their housing due to the partial destruction of the houses where they lived. By tragic coincidence, a natural disaster occurred to the same day, 32 years after one of the strongest earthquakes in the history of the continent, the 1985 earthquake in Mexico, which claimed the lives of about 10 thousand people.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram of condolences to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto over the numerous victims of the earthquake in Mexico. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov told reporters about this.
According to the USGS Geological Center, the epicenter of the earthquake, which occurred at 13.14 local time (20.14 Moscow time), was located on the border of the states of Puebla and Morelos. The source of the earthquake lay at a depth of 57 km. The tremor came days after a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck southern Mexico in early September, killing at least 100 people.
"I'm in shock, I can't stop crying, it's the same nightmare as in 1985," Georgina Sanchez, 52, told AFP as she wept in a Mexico City plaza as she recalled the tragic episode in the country's history. How can we not mention the evil irony of fate. On Tuesday morning, tens of thousands of Mexicans took to the streets to honor the memory of the victims of the 1985 tragedy, and a few hours later they themselves felt the full evil grimace of the elements.
The first images from social networks show images of the disaster: rubble scattered on the roads, huge pieces of collapsed buildings lying on the ground, hundreds of frightened local residents fleeing from buildings into the streets. The tragedy at the Enrique Rebsamen school in the capital is shocking, where the bodies of 32 dead children and five adults were recovered from the rubble. Rescuers and volunteers worked through the night to locate those trapped under the rubble, telling each other to remain silent as they heard screams coming from beneath the tons of concrete.
Huge pieces of collapsed houses, hundreds of frightened residents fleeing from the buildings into the streets
The earthquake occurred about 120 kilometers southeast of Mexico City and affected one of the most densely populated metropolitan areas in the world, with a population of 20 million people. Authorities reported 44 destroyed buildings in the Mexican capital and declared a state of emergency in the city. According to eyewitnesses, multi-storey buildings were built like houses of cards. A large supermarket and factory were destroyed in Mexico City. In the municipality of Jojutla in the southern state of Morelos, which was close to the epicenter of the earthquake, 12 people were killed, where the town hall and a local church collapsed. Footage released by tourists swimming on the shores of a lake in southern Mexico showed strong waves nearly capsizing boats on these usually calm canals.
40 percent of Mexico City residents and 60 percent of Morelos state were left without electricity. Eyewitnesses spoke of a strong smell of gas in several neighborhoods of the Mexican capital due to damaged gas lines. Officials urgently warned residents of the capital not to smoke on the streets. Those working on the rubble were ordered to turn off their mobile phones. "There are living people there!" - the woman shouted, pointing to the ruins of the medical clinic. Immediately, rescuers and bystanders formed a human chain to clear the ruins and try to extract survivors. Patients on stretchers or wheelchairs, some on IVs, were evacuated to the sidewalk.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto cut short his trip to the province and returned to Mexico City by plane. “I ordered the evacuation of hospitals,” he wrote on Twitter. He later arrived at the site of the destroyed Enrique Rebsamen school in Mexico City, where rescuers continued to search for dozens of children trapped under the rubble.
The number of victims could have been significantly higher if the earthquake had not struck at lunchtime, when many employees had left administrative and office buildings. Moreover, the tremor occurred a couple of hours after many residents of Mexico City took part in a national exercise of the local Ministry of Emergency Situations, where they were explained how to behave after a natural disaster.
According to the BBC, alarms were sounded in the city after the earthquake, but some residents apparently thought they were part of a training exercise. “Mexico City is a city that has long been accustomed to earthquakes. But this tremor, on the anniversary of another, was especially strong,” the correspondent notes. "Drills at 11am and earthquake at 1pm. This is the strongest thing I've ever seen in my life," one user wrote on Twitter.
The earthquake in Nepal, which occurred on April 25 and killed more than 3 thousand people, has already been called one of the strongest in the last 80 years.
The most famous strong earthquake in human history, which claimed the largest number of lives, occurred in Shaanxi and Henan in China on February 2, 1556. It is estimated that 830 thousand people died then. In the history of the 20th and 21st centuries, a colossal number of vibrations of the earth's crust of enormous force have been recorded, resulting in numerous human casualties.
"Observer" offers the TOP 10 most powerful and largest earthquakes of the 20th and 21st centuries that occurred on our planet. Each of them claimed a huge number of human lives and left behind piles of destroyed buildings and residential buildings.
On December 4, 1911, an earthquake occurred in the city of Verny (today Alma-Ata). The area of complete destruction (9-11 points) covered an area of 15 thousand square meters. km. Mountain ranges and valleys were cut by faults up to 200 km long. The strip of the greatest disturbances of the earth's surface (500 m wide and 100 km long) was recorded on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul. Millions of tons of soil have shifted.
Occurred on August 15, 1950 in the highlands of Tibet. The energy approximately corresponded to the force of the explosion of 100 thousand atomic bombs. The total weight of the displaced rocks was about 2 billion tons. Eyewitness accounts were terrifying. A deafening roar erupted from the bowels of the earth. In Calcutta, more than 1,000 km away, underground vibrations caused bouts of seasickness among residents. Cars were thrown back 800 m, a section of the railway track 300 m long was lowered by almost 5 m, and the road was completely destroyed.
On December 4, 1957, a strong 11-12 magnitude earthquake occurred in southern Mongolia. It started around noon with a strong shock. Residents managed to run out of the premises, and when the subsequent main blow wiped out the buildings, almost no one was left in them. Huge dark clouds of dust rose above the mountains, initially hiding the peaks. The dust spread quickly, covering the entire 230 km long mountain range. Visibility did not exceed 100 m. The air cleared only after two days. Soil vibrations were observed over an area of 5 million square meters. km.
The strongest earthquake in the 20th century according to the scale of the Japanese seismologist Kanamori (magnitude 9.5 - the highest ever recorded in the world) occurred on May 21, 1960.
At least 10 thousand people died then. Large cities were destroyed - Concepcion, which existed for more than 400 years, Valdivia, Puerto Montt, Osorno and others. The Pacific coast for more than 1000 km suffered from the rampant disaster. Coastal strip with an area of 10 thousand square meters. km sank below ocean level and was covered by a two-meter layer of water. 14 volcanoes have awakened. A series of subsequent aftershocks killed 5,700 people and left another 100,000 homeless. The damage caused was estimated at $400 million, and 20% of the country's industrial complex was destroyed. In 7 days (May 21-30), almost the entire Chilean countryside was reduced to ruins. The monstrous destruction on the coast was complemented by a gigantic tsunami. In particular, the port of Ankund, the capital of the island of Chiloe, was washed away. And on Easter Island, a 10-meter wave scattered, like grains of sand, multi-ton (up to 80 tons) stones of an ancient ritual structure - ahu Tongariki.
On July 28, 1976, the city of Tangshan was almost completely destroyed in the Chinese province of Hebei. An earthquake with an amplitude of 8.2 began at 3:42 local time. This explains the large number of victims - 242,419 people. According to unofficial data, the total number of deaths is about 800 thousand. Many experts believe that the Chinese authorities deliberately underestimated the number of victims. This fact is supported by the fact that the magnitude of the earthquake was indicated as only 7.8 points.
As a result of the earthquake, about 5.3 million homes were destroyed or damaged to such an extent that they were uninhabitable. Several aftershocks, the strongest of which had a magnitude of 7.1, also caused casualties. Tremors from the Tianshan earthquake were also felt in the capital of China, Beijing, which is located 140 km from Tangshan.
In terms of the number of victims, the Tianshan earthquake is considered one of the largest of the 20th and 21st centuries.
On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean. The tsunami, caused by the most powerful earthquake in recent decades, hit the coasts of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Somalia, and Kenya. The epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 30 kilometers near the province of Aceh in the north-west of the island of Sumatra. The total number of deaths from the tsunami was approximately 300 thousand people.
On May 12, 2008, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale occurred in Sichuan Province, China. The epicenter was located 92 km northwest of the provincial capital, Chengdu. A new strong earthquake of magnitude 5.8 occurred on May 13. The total number of deaths was more than 69 thousand people, over 370 thousand were injured. More than 17 thousand people were missing.
On January 12, 2010, an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale occurred in Haiti.
Then 220 thousand people died, 300 thousand were injured, 1.1 million people lost their homes.
On March 11, 2011, more than 20 major earthquakes of the 21st century occurred in Japan, the strongest measuring up to 8.9 on the Richter scale. In Tokyo, buildings swayed and a major highway collapsed. A 10 m high tsunami reached the island of Honshu, and a six meter high tsunami hit the island of Hokkaido. In Miyagi Prefecture, water washed away not only boats, houses and cars, but also tanks from a military factory. The nuclear power plant stopped operating. Authorities have decided to close Narita International Airport in Tokyo. The cataclysm led to a displacement of the Earth's rotation axis by almost ten centimeters. The official death toll in Japan's 12 prefectures is 15,870, with 2,846 missing in 6 prefectures and 6,110 injured in 20 prefectures. 3,400 houses were completely or partially destroyed. The city of Rikuzentakata, located in the northeastern Iwate Prefecture, was almost completely submerged under water. A strong explosion occurred at the oil storage facility of the oil company Cosmo Oil in the city of Likihara, in the suburbs of Tokyo. Explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant led to a radiation leak... The specter of nuclear death once again loomed over the world, and the suburbs of Tokyo could well become one of the nuclear explosion zones on the world map.
On August 31, 2012, a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 occurred in the central part of the Philippine archipelago, leading to significant destruction of roads and bridges. Residents of the island of Samar hastened to take refuge on high ground, fearing a possible tsunami. The epicenter of the earthquake was 146 km from the island. The source of the tremors lay at a depth of 32 km. Fortunately, the strong earthquake did not trigger a tsunami.
