An earthquake is tremors and vibrations earth's crust caused by tectonic activity. Earthquakes are measured on a twelve point Richter scale. Where did the most destructive earthquakes in recorded history occur?

On May 22 at 14-55 local time, near the city of Valdivia, the most powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 9.3-9.5 occurred. It was called the Great Chilean Earthquake and was the most powerful since 1600.

On March 27, 1964, at 5:36 p.m. local time, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 occurred in Alaska. The epicenter of this earthquake was in the northern Gulf of Alaska at a depth of 20 km. Many scientists suggest that as a result of this earthquake, the Earth's rotation axis shifted and its speed increased by three microseconds. These two earthquakes before today considered the most powerful in history.

How can you measure the strength of earthquakes? Can the Richter scale convey the catastrophic consequences of this natural disaster? What points can be used to measure the destruction caused by the elements and human lives? Which earthquake is considered more destructive? The one that has the greatest power on the Richter scale or the one that caused the most severe economic damage? Or maybe measure it in human casualties or the environmental disasters that follow?

In 1556, in China, in the town of Shensi, the most devastating earthquake, which killed 830,000 people.

On December 7, 1988, in Armenia, an earthquake occurred (according to some estimates) with a magnitude of more than 10 points at the epicenter. As a result, 45,000 people died. The city of Spitak turned into ruins; Leninakan and Kirovakan were half destroyed.

On September 1, 1923, a magnitude 12 earthquake struck the Southern Kanto region (including Tokyo and Yokohama). 150,000 people died.

December 26, 2004, in the north-west of the island. Sumatra, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1-9.3 occurred in the Indian Ocean. More than 300,000 people became victims of this disaster and the subsequent tsunami.

On May 12 and 13, 2008, an earthquake occurred in Sichuan province, killing more than 69,000 people. On February 27, 2010, an earthquake occurred in Chile with a magnitude of 8.8. Its epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean.

The most recent of the strongest earthquakes occurred on March 11, 2011 in Japan, its strength was estimated at 9 points. This earthquake and the subsequent tsunami caused an environmental disaster. Then the cooling system at the nuclear power plant was damaged. The whole world watched the events in Japan with alarm. Unfortunately, nuclear contamination could not be avoided.

IN Lately the majority of the population has increased interest in natural disasters. Events recent years show that the Earth has entered an active phase of tectonic activity. Throughout its history, our planet has repeatedly changed the outlines of its continents and land topography. If you believe Plato, then it was during the period of tectonic activity of the planet that many great civilizations, such as Atlantis and Hyperborea, disappeared. Maybe we should think about the future path of our development so that we do not suffer the same fate. Or maybe we should understand that the Earth is a living, intelligent organism and it’s time for us to start treating its resources more carefully.

TASS DOSSIER. On November 12, 2017, a strong earthquake occurred on the border of Iran and Iraq. One after another, two impacts with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.3 were recorded, respectively. The main blow fell on the provinces of Kermanshah and Ilam in western Iran.

As a result, according to preliminary data, more than 350 people were killed and over 3 thousand were injured.

The editors of TASS-DOSSIER have prepared material about the ten largest earthquakes of the 20th and 21st centuries. When compiling the rating, the officially confirmed number of deaths was taken into account.

January 12, 2010 At 21:53 UTC, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred in Haiti. Its hypocenter was located in the sea, 25 km southwest of the capital, 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.

July 27, 1976 At 19:42 UTC, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred near 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 turned into ruins, destruction was also recorded in Tianjin and Beijing. Everything in the region was damaged car roads and about 400 km of railway track, which made it difficult for rescue teams to arrive in the city. Economic damage amounted to $2 billion.

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, 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.

December 16, 1920 At 12:06 UTC, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred in Gansu Province, China. The epicenter was in Haiyuan County. Fluctuations in the earth's crust led to destruction over an area of ​​67.5 thousand square meters. km, affecting seven 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.

September 1, 1923 At 2:58 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Japan, dubbed 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.

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. During Soviet times exact amount no victims were named; in 2010, the President of Turkmenistan stated that the earthquake claimed the lives of 176 thousand residents of the republic, including 89% of Ashgabat residents. Since 1995, October 6 is celebrated in Turkmenistan as Remembrance Day.

May 12, 2008 At 6:28 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred in the Chinese province of Sichuan. The epicenter was located in Wenchuan County, 80 km northwest of the provincial capital, Chengdu. The tremors were felt in Beijing (1,500 km from the epicenter) and Shanghai (1,700 km). The earthquake was also felt in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia and Russia. 87.6 thousand people became victims of the natural disaster, more than 370 thousand were injured. 15 million people were evacuated, more than 5 million were left homeless. In total, more than 45.5 million people were affected in 10 provinces. 5.36 million buildings were completely destroyed, more than 21 million were damaged. The total economic loss is estimated at $86 billion.

October 8, 2005 At 3:50 UTC an earthquake occurred in South Asia - in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. The magnitude was 7.6. The epicenter was located 105 km northeast of the capital of Pakistan. In Pakistan, 86 thousand people were killed and more than 69 thousand people were injured. More than 32 thousand buildings were destroyed. In India, 1.3 thousand people became victims, 6.2 thousand were injured. More than 4 million people lost their homes. The Pakistani government estimated the damage at $5-12 billion. The earthquake was the most destructive in South Asia in the last 100 years. As a result, a 100 km long fault was formed, along which almost all structures were destroyed. Tremors were also felt in China, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

December 28, 1908 At 4:20 UTC, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 occurred in the city of Messina on the island of 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 more were destroyed settlements. 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.

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.

WITH most famous strong earthquake in the history of mankind, which took greatest number lives, occurred in Shaanxi and Henan in China. Estimated to have died on 2 February 1556 830 thousand people. In history 20th and 21st centuries A colossal number of vibrations of the earth's crust of enormous force were recorded, resulting in numerous human casualties. According to experts, the number major earthquakes is growing every year. Also, almost 150 are recorded annually earthquakes small magnitude. Observers attribute this to the approach of the mysterious planet Nibiru.

We bring to your attention the most strong and large earthquakes that happened on our planet in the 20th and 21st centuries, each of which resulted in a huge number of deaths, piles of destroyed buildings and residential buildings, a record number of people left homeless. Position in the ranking of described earthquakes very conditional.

† In terms of the number of victims, it is considered one of the most large 20th and 21st centuries Tien Shan earthquake July 28, 1976 with magnitude 7.9. Death toll reaches 750,000.

† In 1950, in the state of Assam (India), so much happened strong earthquake that all the seismographs went off scale. Its magnitude was 9 on the Richter scale.

† February 4, 1976 due to the appearance of a crack in the Motagua fault in Guatemala over 1 million inhabitants left homeless in an instant.

† Most major earthquake in the 20th century according to the scale of the Japanese seismologist Kanamori, it was observed on May 22, 1960 in Chile. Then at least 10 thousand people. 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 aftershocks killed 5,700 people and left another 100,000 homeless. Damage was estimated at $400 million, 20% industrial complex the country was destroyed. In 7 days (May 21-30) almost all countryside Chile has been 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.

† Trouble came to the city of Verny (today Alma-Ata) on the eve of the New Year 1911. Region complete destruction(9-11 points) covered the territory with 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.

†Greatest seismic disaster 20th century occurred on August 15, 1950 in the highlands of Tibet. The energy was approximately equal to the force of the explosion 100 thousand atomic bombs . Total weight The moved rocks amounted to 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.

† Strong 11-12 points earthquake erupted on December 4, 1957 in southern Mongolia. It started around noon with a strong jolt. 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 all mountain range length 230 km. 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.

† On August 31, 2012, an explosion occurred in the central part of the Philippine archipelago. major earthquake magnitude 7.6, which led 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, strong earthquake did not trigger a tsunami.

† On March 11, 2011, more than 20 major earthquakes of the 21st century, the strongest with a magnitude of up to 8.9 on the Richter scale. In Tokyo, buildings swayed and a major highway collapsed. A 10-meter-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. The authorities decided to close international Airport Narita in Tokyo. The cataclysm led to a displacement of the Earth's rotation axis by almost ten centimeters... The official death toll in 12 prefectures of Japan is 15,870 people, 2846 people are missing in 6 prefectures, 6110 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. 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... A ghost loomed over the world again nuclear death, and the suburbs of Tokyo could well become one of.

† Late August 2012 episode earthquakes deprived the residents of the small town of Brawley in California. Here 400 happened in 4 days weak and moderate tremors. Nature reminded us that we need to be prepared for anything, because this is an earthquake-prone area.

We talked about the most dangerous natural disasters 20th and 21st centuries - earthquakes, the force and consequences of which could well lead to an unprecedented global catastrophe on Earth. The threat of global disaster is real. The same elements that created our fragile planet can destroy it. The earth is not ready for strong, large earthquakes magnitude 10 or more.

Everyone good day, I am very glad to welcome those who are interested not only in games or shopping, but also in world affairs. It is about the problems associated with disasters that I wanted to talk today.

World disasters, one way or another, affect the life of every person on the planet. And it doesn’t matter in what part of the earth an earthquake, flood or volcanic eruption occurred. Some people always suffer, while others sympathize and try to help.

Unfortunately, scientists cannot fully understand how to predict a terrible event. Take, for example, an earthquake. This is an extremely dangerous natural phenomenon that cannot be predicted. Scientists' calculations made it possible to learn about future tremors of the earth's surface only a few hours before they began.

But even here there may be danger in the calculations, because the earthquake can be much stronger than predicted. The most effective predictor of impending disaster is animals. Many people say that animals are closer to the earth and are more connected to it. So love your pets and they can save your life.

The danger of earth tremors awaits those residents whose houses are located in mountainous areas. After all, mountains are peculiar scars in places of fracture of titanic plates. Fortunately, most earthquakes occur at the bottom of the oceans, but this also poses a danger for coastal living areas. It is almost impossible to escape from a strong tsunami.

The most powerful earthquake in human history: tragedy in Chile

The most powerful earthquake in human history occurred just off the Pacific coast and practically destroyed Chile in 1960. By different sources The force of the tremors on the ocean floor at the epicenter was about 10 points. It is worth looking at the consequences of the wave that destroyed large coastal cities almost to the ground.

The tsunami that hit Chile destroyed not only residential areas, but also industry, everything had to be rebuilt. At that time it cost more than 400 billion dollars.

The strongest earthquakes in the world on the Richter scale: top 5

It is impossible to predict where the next earthquake will occur. How many people will suffer? We only know that over the last hundred years the number of severe disasters in human history has increased.

List of known largest earthquakes:

• The Kemin earthquake is considered one of the largest inland earthquakes. It took place in Kazakhstan in 1911, then, with an amplitude of 9 points, it almost completely collapsed Almaty city.
• The next most destructive earthquake, after the Chilean one, happened in Alaska in 1964. Due to the low population density in this part of the earth, only 9 people were affected by the 9.5 magnitude tremors, plus 190 drowned. But due to the huge wave, the coasts of Canada, Japan and California were seriously damaged.
• In 1952, a magnitude 9 earthquake occurred off the coast of Kamchatka. And the rising giant wave 17 meters high swept away Severo-Kurilsk Almost completely, a third of the residents of the city and nearby settlements died as a result.
• Indian tsunami, which drowned most of the coastal cities of Indonesia, Thailand, southern India and Sri Lanka in 2004. Earth tremors began near the island Sumatra. Then the disaster took the lives of more than 300 thousand people.
• But the most catastrophic earthquake is considered Japanese. Although it took place quite recently in 2011, it brought not only destruction to its country. The earthquake caused a tsunami that damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The echoes of that disaster can still be heard. And the radioactive cloud hung over the ocean for a long time, and the whole world watched its movement with bated breath.

Is it possible to prepare for underground unrest? Can you predict what consequences it will bring? Is there salvation and where to look for it?

Many questions arise in a person when he thinks about this. The problem of modern man is not that he is not prepared for disasters, he just does not think about them. After watching TV and sympathizing with the victims, we forget about everything. We don’t think that our country is also located at the intersection of titanic plate faults, and in Russia, like nowhere else, the probability of earthquakes is high.

A little theory about earthquakes

Due to modern scientific achievements Scientists have suggested that tremors occur almost every day in the world. We do not feel most of them, due to the great depth of the epicenter or its small strength.

A person will feel tremors or a wave only starting from 3 points; before this, the force is so weak that only instruments can detect the impulse. Some people believe that there are many more earthquakes during the full moon.

The causes of underground disturbances can be not only natural, but also caused by humans. Regular weapons testing or mining disrupts the landscape and structure of the earth's surface. The most dangerous human impact is the adjustment of mountainous terrain. As you know, this is where earthquakes most often occur.

It’s just difficult for people to prove that they are wrong and that they need to change their way of life so that after us our descendants can live peacefully for thousands of years.

World wars and human cruelty towards brothers lead to the fact that cataclysms began to occur more and more often. After all, the earth is also a living and intelligent organism...

Imagine yourself in her place, not only are they constantly pumping out oil, extracting metals, but they are also fighting, destroying not only people, but also environment, poisoning with lead and burning thousands of kilometers of land.

As a result, the soil dies, and with it all the plants. There is so much beauty in the world, can a person never grow up? A rational being cannot treat nature with such disrespect.

How to behave during an earthquake

Each of us learned the rules of behavior during earthly discussions back in school. Even regular drills mean preparation both physically and psychologically.

How might he react? a common person when does the earthquake start? The first is fear, and it’s good if you pull yourself together quickly enough, get your bearings and go to a safe distance from the surrounding buildings, which may collapse if the shocks are strong.

But when panic sets in, it most often occurs in office buildings, where workers are under stress every day. And then a disaster happened, running around began instead of constructive evacuation.

At the first tremors, you should hide under the table, then if a wall or ceiling collapses, you will suffer less, and it will be easier for rescuers to find you. If you decide to leave the building, you should do so at the first tremors before they become stronger or surrounding objects begin to fall.

Try to stay along walls without windows. When shaking, the glass is the first to crack and you can get seriously injured. As soon as you get out of the building, move to a safe distance. You should not drive a car; due to the electronics, the car may simply become blocked, and so will you.

If you live in an earthquake-prone area, you should prepare a bag or backpack with the essentials for the first time. You can also put documents and some money there. This is convenient in a critical situation, you can immediately grab it and run out of the dangerous room.

12 points on the Richter scale: adventure project “On the Edge” and learn a lot of new things! See you soon!

Text - agent Q.

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On January 11, 1693, the Sicilian earthquake occurred during the eruption of Mount Etna. It literally turned several cities in southern Italy, Sicily and Malta into dust, and the rubble of buildings became the grave of 100 thousand people. RG recalls the deadliest earthquakes.

Chinese earthquake - 830 thousand victims

This earthquake, which occurred in 1556, is also called the Great China. It was truly catastrophic. Its magnitude, according to today's estimates, reached 11 points. The epicenter of the disaster was in the valley of the Wei River in Shaanxi province, near the cities of Huaxian, Weinan and Huanin. All three cities were reduced to a pile of rubble in less than 8 minutes.

At the epicenter of the earthquake, 20-meter gaps and cracks opened. The destruction affected areas 500 kilometers away from the epicenter. The large number of victims was due to the fact that the vast majority of the population of the province lived in limestone caves, which either collapsed after the first tremors or were flooded by mudflows.

Chinese historical records contain the following data about the earthquake: “Mountains and rivers changed their location, roads were destroyed. In some places the ground suddenly rose and new hills appeared, or vice versa - parts of the former hills went underground, floated and became new plains. In in other places there were constant mudflows, or the ground was splitting and new ravines appeared.”

Tangshan earthquake - 800 thousand victims

The earthquake in the Chinese city of Tangshan is recognized by experts as the largest natural disaster of the 20th century. In the early morning of July 28, 1976, at a depth of 22 kilometers, an 8.2 magnitude shock occurred, which killed from 240 to 800 thousand people in a matter of minutes. Subsequent tremors with a magnitude of 7 completely destroyed 6 million residential buildings.

The Chinese government still refuses to name exact numbers loss of life, with more than half a million people still missing.

The Tangshan tragedy formed the basis of the feature film "Earthquake", which is one of the most expensive in the history of cinema of the Republic.

Indian Ocean earthquake - 227,898 victims

Let's dilute our peculiar "rating" with an underwater earthquake. It occurred in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, and the tsunami that followed, according to various estimates, killed up to 300 thousand people. The exact number of victims is still unknown - ocean waves washed away thousands of people from the coastal area. The dead were found even in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6,900 km from the epicenter.

The energy released by the earthquake is estimated to be approximately 2 exajoules. This energy would be enough to boil 150 liters of water for every inhabitant of the Earth, or the same amount of energy that humanity uses in 2 years. The Earth's surface oscillated within 20-30 centimeters, which is equivalent to tidal forces acting from the Sun and Moon. The shock wave passed through the entire planet: vertical vibrations of 3 millimeters were recorded in the American state of Oklahoma.

The earthquake shortened the length of the day by about 2.68 microseconds, that is, by about one-billionth, due to the decrease in the oblateness of the Earth.

Earthquake in Haiti - 222,570 victims

The earthquake occurred on January 12, 2010 in the immediate vicinity of the capital of the Republic - Port-au-Prince. The force of the shock, according to various estimates, did not exceed 7 points, but the extreme population density in this area led to colossal casualties.

Immediately after the main shock, aftershocks with a force of up to 5 points followed, which completed the destruction. Thousands of residential buildings and almost all hospitals were destroyed. About 3 million people were left homeless. The country's capital was devastated by an earthquake, the water supply was destroyed, epidemics and looting began.

Ashgabat earthquake - 176 thousand victims

On the night of October 5-6, 1948, an earthquake occurred in the capital of the Turkmen SSR, Ashgabat, which is recognized by experts as one of the most destructive. The strength in the epicentral region was 9-10 points, Ashgabat was destroyed by 98 percent, and 3⁄4 of the city’s population died.

In 1948, very little was reported about the disaster in the official Soviet press. It was only said that “the earthquake resulted in human casualties.” Later, information about the victims in the media stopped publishing altogether. A large number of victims was associated with the early time of the earthquake and architectural features: Ashgabat was built up with houses with flat roofs.

To combat the consequences of the earthquake, carry out search and rescue operations and bury the victims, 4 divisions of the Red Army were transferred to the city. The disaster claimed the lives of the mother of a major political figure, Saparmurat Niyazov, and his brothers, Muhammetmuraat and Niyazmurat.

Sicilian earthquake - 100 thousand victims

Well, and finally - the Sicilian earthquake of 1693 or the Great Sicilian - one of the largest in the history of all of Italy. It occurred on January 11, 1693 during the eruption of Etna and caused destruction in southern Italy, Sicily and Malta. The earthquake itself and subsequent aftershocks and landslides killed about 100 thousand people.

South-eastern Sicily suffered the most: many architectural monuments were destroyed here. It was in the Val di Noto area, almost completely destroyed, that a new architectural style late Baroque, known as the "Sicilian Baroque". Many buildings of this style are protected by UNESCO monuments.