The strongest earthquake in history. The strongest earthquake

We often imagine nature in the role of a kind of “caring grandmother”, admiring the flowers, beautiful landscapes and watching the peacefully babbling brook. This impression is deceptive, as sometimes she shows her true strength.

An example of this is the most strong earthquake in the world. More precisely, we will talk about several cases known to us, since different scientists and historians are not very similar in their assessments.

The sad list is crowned by the disaster that occurred in India. This happened not so long ago, in 1950. All old Hindus remember with horror the day when the earth split open and thousands of people disappeared without a trace into huge cracks in the earth. All this happened in the city of Assam, which was located on the eastern coast of the country.

Officially, this is the strongest earthquake in the world in the last millennium. Unfortunately, this event received a sad title for a reason.

In particular, none of the metering devices was able to record its real strength, as they were simply off scale. Official science later assigned it a score of 9, although all surviving Indian scientists from Assam unanimously insist that these figures are false, that in fact this monstrous earthquake was many times stronger.

Their words are fully confirmed by the information of their American colleagues, who, being many thousands of kilometers from the epicenter of the disaster, recorded its consequences without any instruments, since tremors of impressive force even reached the central states! This is truly the most powerful earthquake in the world.

On the same day, the alarm was sounded in Japan: the tremors detected by sensors were so strong that the country's civil defense forces cut off pipes, trying to find out in which prefecture such a strong earthquake was occurring.

What was their surprise and horror when they learned that the disaster that occurred in distant India had echoed with strong underground vibrations even among them!

This is the most powerful earthquake in the world, only due to the small size of the city (completely destroyed) and cost India a thousand dead. If something similar happened in Delhi, the consequences are scary to imagine...

Unfortunately, the Chinese are much less fortunate. In 1976, what all historians consider to be the most terrible cataclysm in the history of modern civilization occurred, meaning an incredible number of victims.

We are talking about a cataclysm in Hebei province. Then the strength of the underground rumors was “only” 8.2 points, which is much weaker than the Indian incident, but even according to official data, about 250 thousand people were among the dead.

A terrible number. Of course, this is not the strongest earthquake in history, but analysts believe that Chinese authorities underestimated the loss figures by 3-4 times.

What about our country? Are we really lucky to live in the most sustainable place on the planet? Unfortunately, it is not.

The most powerful one happened quite recently - on May 28, 1995 on Sakhalin. This is a dark day in our history. On that fateful morning, the force of the tremors was up to 10 points.

Due to the small population, everything could have worked out, but the main force of the blow was taken by the city of Neftegorsk, which after that ceased to exist. More than two thousand people died.

The most tragic thing is that graduates gathered at the local school that day. Of the 26 children, only nine survived.

Nature works in mysterious ways. By providing best conditions for life, she also provides the world with various disasters, probably in order to maintain the balance between good and evil. She gives oxygen to breathe and shows her strength through thunderstorms. She shows her kindness, and at the same time, how evil she can be. One way to show your anger is through an earthquake.

Being one of the worst forms of natural disasters, it certainly causes huge losses.
Earthquakes are typically caused by the shifting of tectonic plates located beneath the Earth's surface. When tectonic plates collide, they cause the Earth's surface to vibrate, resulting in earthquakes.

The location where an earthquake occurs is called the epicenter, and the device for measuring the frequency of the earthquake is called a seismometer. The basic principle of a seismometer is to measure the frequency of vibrations caused in a specific location. He prints a zigzag pattern on a piece of paper, and mathematical calculations are used to calculate the value on the Richter scale.

The earth experiences many earthquakes throughout the year. Most of them are quite weak and cannot be felt. Typically their magnitude is less than 4, but some earthquakes are quite strong and can cause enormous destruction. The magnitude of such earthquakes is above 8 points.

The earthquake with the highest recorded magnitude was 9.5. Together with strong vibrations on the Earth's surface, which leads to buildings falling and causing huge losses, earthquakes are the main cause of tsunamis and other natural disasters.

Typically, earthquakes that occur beneath the surface of the sea or ocean are the most common cause of tsunamis. The earthquakes that are considered the most powerful are described below.


Magnitude: 8.6
Date: August 15, 1950

Although known as the Assam Earthquake, the epicenter was in Tibet. About 800 people became victims of the disaster. The earthquake not only affected Assam and the Tibet region, but also caused damage on the outskirts of China.

According to records, 800 people are known to have died, but in reality there were many more. A huge number of people suffered from severe injuries, which is why this earthquake was included in the top ten worst.


Magnitude: 8.6
Date: March 28, 2005

One of the most devastating effects of an earthquake is that it occurs close to water bodies. It causes water to form tides and waves, leading to another natural disaster called a tsunami.

This is exactly what happened in the Sumatra Islands when the earthquake struck in the popular tourist month of March. Since this is an island state, the earthquake led to the formation of a tsunami and spread across areas all the way to Sri Lanka.

The number of victims as a result of the earthquake was 1,500 people, more than 400 were injured, including victims of the tsunami.


Magnitude: 8.7
Date: April 2, 1965

This earthquake occurred entirely underwater, causing tsunami waves that caused losses. What happened in one of the most beautiful places Earth, the earthquake caused a huge tsunami, causing damage estimated at thousands of dollars. There were no reports of casualties or injuries from the islands, as there is no population in those places.


Magnitude: 8.8
Date: January 31, 1906

Much time has passed since this disaster. The earthquake occurred underwater, resulting in the infamous tsunami. Waves hit the coast of Colombia, the United States, and even the islands of Japan, resulting in a death toll of about 1,500 people.

After this tsunami, various coastal areas began to undertake preventive measures to prevent losses caused by the tsunami.


Magnitude: 8.8
Date: February 27, 2010

One of the worst days in the history of Chile's earthquake-prone zone. More than 500 people died as a result of this earthquake. The tsunami caused by this earthquake added to the effect, displacing hundreds of thousands of people, of whom 50 people are still missing.

The number of wounded people was 12,000. Thus, this earthquake became one of the most powerful in the history of mankind.


Magnitude: 9.0
Date: November 4, 1952

Imagine a wave 9 meters high approaching you at very high speed! What would you do? Wouldn't you feel helpless! A similar situation occurred in Kamchatka in Russia in 1952, when a huge tsunami caused by an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale left people feeling helpless.

They left their belongings and tried to find a safe place. Fortunately, no one died as a result of the earthquake.


Magnitude: 9.0
Date: March 11, 2011

Who can forget the earthquake that caused the tsunami, as well as the destruction of thermal power units in Japan, which exposed the area to harmful radiation from uranium and thorium? Having occurred just a few years ago, this earthquake is considered one of the most powerful.

Japan is small in size, but the country is rich in knowledge and technology. This earthquake challenged thousands of minds in Japan. Despite suffering from such huge losses, the government and people came together to reduce the impact of such an earthquake and tsunami, and within a short time, they again secured the title of a superpower!


Magnitude: 9.1
Date: December 26, 2004

Having been mentioned twice on the list, it is clear that Sumatra is among the most earthquake-prone areas. Just three months before the earthquake measured 8.6 on the Richter scale, this earthquake took away more lives and caused damage to property than what happened later.

It caused a devastating tsunami, which killed about 300 thousand people in the countries of South Africa and South Asia. It is known that after several days of the earthquake, a volcano erupted in Andaman.


Magnitude: 9.2
Date: March 28, 1964

The name speaks for itself! One of the largest earthquakes in history due to its strength. 150 people were killed, and damage was estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

The shaking was felt only in some parts of New America, but the resulting tsunami traveled to different places, causing enormous damage.


Magnitude: 9.5
Date: May 22, 1960

The lands of Chile can be renamed the Land of Volcanoes, since this is where the maximum amount earthquakes. This is the second time the country's name has been mentioned on this list. This earthquake killed 1,700 people, and the tsunami it caused killed 2 million people.

More than 3,000 people were seriously injured. The total amount of damage is $600 million, which, of course, is not small. The country is trying to take many steps to prevent any losses caused by earthquakes and to some extent these efforts are bearing fruit!

Video about the most powerful earthquakes in the world from ADZI

On April 25, 2015, one of the most powerful earthquakes in history occurred in 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

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December 26, 2003 ancient city Bam in Kerman Province, Iran, survived devastating earthquake(6.3 points), in which more than 35 thousand people died and more than 22 thousand were injured (out of 200 thousand population). About 90% of the historic city's clay buildings were destroyed.

The impact of the earthquake was so widespread because many of the houses were made of clay and did not meet local 1989 codes.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake


By U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Philip A. McDaniel, via Wikimedia Commons

An undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean, which occurred exactly one year after the Iranian one, on December 26, 2004, caused a tsunami, recognized as the deadliest natural disaster in the world. modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake was, according to various estimates, from 9.1 to 9.3. This is the third most powerful earthquake on record.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Indian Ocean, north of the island of Simeulue, located off 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 dead people, even to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6900 km from the epicenter.

According to various estimates, from 225 thousand to 300 thousand people died. The true death toll is unlikely to ever be known, as many people were swept out to sea.

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 was 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 province, Chengdu. The earthquake was felt in Beijing (1,500 km away) and Shanghai (1,700 km), where office buildings shook and evacuations began. It was 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 were killed, about 18 thousand people were missing, and 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 occurred on 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 a movement earth's crust in the contact zone of the Caribbean and North American lithospheric plates. The last time there was an earthquake like this destructive force 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

The Chile earthquake was a powerful earthquake that occurred on February 27, 2010 off the coast of Chile, causing loss of life, destruction, and a tsunami. One of the most major earthquakes over the past half century. The epicenter of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake was 90 kilometers from the capital of the Bio-Bio region, Concepción, the country's second largest agglomeration after Santiago. Less than a thousand people became victims of the disaster.

The earthquake caused a tsunami, which hit 11 islands and the coast of Maule, but the number of victims caused by the tsunami was minimal: most of the residents 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 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 known history Japan.

The earthquake caused a powerful tsunami, which caused widespread destruction on the northern islands of the Japanese archipelago. The maximum wave height was about 40 meters. The tsunami spread throughout the Pacific Ocean; in many coastal countries, including along the entire Pacific coast of North and South America from Alaska to Chile, warnings were issued and evacuations were carried out.

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 the source of heavy radioactive releases.

As of September 5, 2012, the official death toll as a result of the earthquake and tsunami was more than 15 thousand people, about 3 thousand are missing, and more than 6 thousand were injured.

2015 Nepal earthquake


By Krish Dulal (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The 2015 Nepal earthquakes were a series of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 4.2Mw to 7.8Mw that occurred on April 25 and 26, 2015. Tremors were felt in Nepal's capital Kathmandu. Tremors were also observed on Everest, triggering avalanches that killed more than 80 climbers.

The Nepalese government has confirmed the death of more than 4 thousand people, about 7 thousand people were injured. According to media reports, a total of about 100 people died in Nepal's neighboring countries (India, Bangladesh, China).

According to preliminary data, thousands of houses were completely destroyed in the country, the damage is estimated at $5 billion.

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

Lisbon earthquake

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

California earthquake

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


Messina earthquake

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

Haiyuan earthquake

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

Chilean earthquake

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

Earthquake in Alaska

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

Kobe earthquake

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

Sumatra and Andaman earthquake

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

Kashmir earthquake

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

Disaster in Haiti

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

Tohoku earthquake in Japan

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

Christchurch

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


According to reports from the National information center earthquakes, working on behalf of the US Geological Survey, every year on Earth there is at least one very destructive earthquake, the strength of which exceeds 8 points, about 18 earthquakes from 7 to 7.9 points, which belong to the category of very strong, 120 strong earthquakes, the strength of which reaches 6−6.9 points, approximately 800 moderate tremors from 5 to 5.9 points, just over 6,200 minor earthquakes with a magnitude of 4−4.9 and approximately 50 thousand weak earthquakes that have a point from 3 to 3.9. But in the history of the Earth there have been earthquakes that remain in the history books as the deadliest - they took the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and harmed millions. It is these types of natural disasters that we will talk about today.

Earthquake in Aleppo, Syria, 1138

Earthquake in Syria in 1138- one of the most powerful in history


One of the most powerful earthquakes known to mankind, and the fourth largest in the number of victims (estimated at over 230,000 dead). This earthquake measured 8 on the Richter scale. The earthquake occurred in several stages, covering the territories of modern northern Syria and southwestern Turkey, and later Iran and Azerbaijan. The peak of destruction occurred on October 11, 1138, when Aleppo suffered.

After the earthquake, the population of Aleppo recovered only to early XIX century.

Earthquake in Ganja (now the territory of Azerbaijan), 1139


The strength of this earthquake was 11 points. As a result of the disaster, about 230 thousand people died.A mountain collapsed during an earthquake Kapaz and blocked the bed of the Akhsu River, which ran through it, as a result of which eight lakes were formed, one of which is Lake Goygol . This lake is currently located on the territoryGoygol Nature Reserve.

Earthquake in Egypt, 1201




More than 1 million people died in the earthquake in Egypt in 1201


This earthquake is included in the Guinness Book as the most destructive. According to chroniclers, the number of victims was 1 million 100 thousand people. There is an opinion that the figures indicated by historians are far from the truth, and there is a good chance that the facts were exaggerated. However, the disaster was gigantic in scale, which had a huge impact on historical development region.

Earthquake of Gansu and Shaanxi, China, 1556




The Chinese earthquake in 1556 killed 830,000 people


It killed an estimated 830,000 people, more than any other earthquake in human history.At the epicenter of the earthquake, 20-meter holes and cracks opened. The destruction affected areas located 500 km from the epicenter. The huge number of victims was due to the fact that most of the population of the province lived in loess caves that collapsed after the first tremors or were flooded mudflows.

For six months after the earthquake, repeated seismic tremors followed several times a month, but of lesser intensity.

Earthquake in Calcutta, India, 1737



This is the most tragic earthquake in the history of the country.. It claimed the lives of about 300 thousand people.

Great Kanto Earthquake, Japan, 1923




The number of victims of the earthquake in Japan in 1923 was 4 million people.


A strong earthquake of magnitude 8.3 that occurred on September 1, 1923 in Japan. The earthquake caused the death of several hundred thousand people and caused significant material damage throughout the state. In terms of the scale of destruction and the number of victims, it is the most destructive in the history of Japan.The official death toll is 174 thousand, another 542 thousand are listed as missing, and over a million are left homeless. The total number of victims was about 4 million.

The material damage suffered by Japan from the Kanto earthquake is estimated at $4.5 billion, which at that time amounted to two of the country's annual budgets.

Earthquake in Chile, 1960


1960 Chile earthquake - one of the strongest in the history of mankind

One of the strongest earthquakes in human history occurred on May 22, 1960 in Chile, the strength of which at the epicenter reached 9.5 points, and the fault was 1000 kilometers. The natural disaster killed 1,655 people, injured 3,000 people, left about 2 million people homeless, and caused half a billion dollars in losses. The tsunami generated by this earthquake reached the coasts of Japan, the Philippines and Hawaii and caused significant damage to coastal communities.

Earthquake in Ashgabat in the Turkmen SSR, 1948

Earthquake in Ashgabat - the most fatal earthquake in the USSR

The most fatal earthquake in the Soviet Union. It consisted of two strong shocks several hours apart. The incident happened on the night of November 5-6. The strength of the natural disaster was approximately 9 points. It took a few seconds to completely destroy the 130 thousandth settlement. It is still not clear how many people died that night. The number of deaths is estimated at 160 thousand people, which collectively amounts to 80% of the total population of the city and surrounding area.

Indian Ocean earthquake, 2004

An undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean caused a tsunami that was considered the deadliest natural disaster in modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake was, according to various estimates, from 9.1 to 9.3. The destruction affected Port Elizabeth in South Africa, despite the fact that it was located several thousand kilometers from the epicenter. Some coasts had to deal with waves higher than 20 meters. The huge release of energy that accompanied the collision of tectonic plates caused a displacement of Sumatra and its neighboring islands by several tens of meters. According to various estimates, from 225 thousand to 300 thousand people died.

2010 Haiti earthquake


Damage from the 2010 Haiti earthquake is estimated at 5.6 billion euros


After the main shock magnitude 7 many were registered repeated tremors, 15 of them with a magnitude greater than 5.According to official data, as of March 18, 2010, the death toll was 222,570 people, and 311 thousand people were injured. Material damage is estimated at 5.6 billion euros.

Earthquake off the east coast of Hons Island, Japan, 2011

This is the strongest earthquake in known history. history of Japan. The earthquake occurred at a distance of about 70 km from the nearest point on the coast of Japan. Initial estimates showed that the tsunami waves took between 10 and 30 minutes to reach the first affected areas of Japan. In 69 minutesafter the earthquake the tsunami flooded Sendai airport.

The official death toll from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan is 15,892. Damage from the earthquake in Japan is estimated at 16-25 trillion yen ($198-309 billion).