1. The worst earthquake in terms of the number of victims
More than 650 thousand people died and more than 780 thousand people were injured during the monstrous earthquake in northeastern China. On the Richter scale, the impact strength reached 8.2 and 7.9 points, but in terms of the number of destructions it ranks first. The first, stronger shock occurred on July 28, 1976 at 3:40 am, when almost all residents were asleep. The second, a few hours later, on the same day. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the millionth city of Tangshan. Even several months later, instead of the city, there was a space of 20 square kilometers, which consisted entirely of ruins.
The most curious evidence of the Tangshan earthquake was published in 1977 by Sinna and Larisa Lomnitz at the National University of Mexico. They wrote that immediately before the first earthquake, the skies lit up with radiance for many kilometers around. And after the push, the trees and plants around the city looked as if they had been walked over with a steam roller, and the remaining sticking out bushes in some places were burnt on one side.
2. The strongest earthquake
One of the worst earthquakes in human history - a magnitude 8.6 on the Richter scale - swept through the remote province of Gansu in China in 1920. A powerful shock left the rickety, animal-skinned dwellings of local residents in ruins. 10 ancient cities turned into ruins in one minute. 180 thousand people died and another 20 thousand died from the cold, leaving without their homes.
In addition to the destruction that was caused directly by the earthquake itself and the failure of the earth's surface, the situation was aggravated by landslides provoked by it. Not only is the Gansu territory a mountainous area. But it still abounds in caves with deposits of loess - fine and mobile sand. These strata, like streams of water, rushed down the slopes of the mountains, carrying with them heavy boulders, as well as giant pieces of peat and turf.
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3. The most powerful - by the number of points
The most powerful earthquake that even seismographs were unable to measure because the arrows went off scale, struck on August 15, 1950 in Assam, India. It claimed the lives of over 1000 people. Later, the earthquake began to ascribe a force of 9 on the Richter scale. The power of the tremors was so colossal that it caused confusion in the calculations of seismologists. The American seismologists decided that it happened in Japan, and the Japanese - that in the United States.
In the Assam zone, the situation is no less complicated. Catastrophic tremors for 5 days shook the earth, opening holes and closing them again, sending fountains of hot steam and superheated liquid into the sky, swallowing entire villages. Dam was damaged, cities and towns were flooded. The local population fled from the elements in the trees. The destruction then surpassed the losses caused by the second most powerful earthquake, which occurred in the area in 1897. Then 1,542 people died.
1) Earthquake in Tangshan (1976); 2) in Gansu (1920); 3) in Assam (India 1950); 4) in Messina (1908).
4. The most powerful - in the history of Sicily
The Strait of Messina - between Sicily and the toe of the "Italian boot" - has always had a bad reputation. In ancient times, the Greeks believed that this is where the terrible monsters Scylla and Charybdis live. In addition, earthquakes have occurred from time to time in the region of the strait and adjacent areas for centuries. But none of them are comparable in scale to what happened on December 28, 1908. It began in the early morning, when most people were still sleeping.
There was only one earthquake, recorded at the Messina observatory at 5 h 10 min. Then a dull rumble was heard, becoming louder, and shifts began to occur under the surface of the water of the strait, rapidly spreading to the east and west. Over time, Reggio, Messina and other coastal towns and villages on both sides of the strait were in ruins. Then the sea unexpectedly retreated 50 meters along the coast of Sicily, from Messina to Catania, and then a wave of 4-6 meters high fell on the coast, flooding the coastal lowlands.
From the Calabrian side, the tide was higher, resulting in more damage. In the region of Reggio, the earthquake was stronger than in all other parts of Sicily. But most of the human casualties were in Messina, the largest of the affected cities, and also a center of tourism, with a large number of great hotels.
Help could not arrive on time due to the complete lack of communication with the rest of Italy. The next morning Russian sailors landed in Messina. The Russians had doctors who provided first aid to the victims. 600 armed Russian sailors began to restore order. On the same day, the British Navy arrived, and with their help, control was completely restored.
5. The most horrifying number of victims - in South America
No earthquake in South American history has claimed as many lives as that of January 24, 1939 in Chile. It burst out at 23.35 and took unsuspecting residents by surprise. 50 thousand people died, 60 thousand were injured and 700 thousand were left homeless.
The city of Concepción has lost 70% of its buildings, ranging from old churches to the shacks of the poor. Hundreds of mines were flooded, the miners who worked in them were buried alive.
5) Earthquake in Chile (1939); 6) in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan 1948); 7) in Armenia (1988); 8) in Alaska (1964).
6. The most powerful - on the territory of the Soviet Union
It happened in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) on October 6, 1948. It was the most severe earthquake in the USSR in the first half of the 20th century. The cities of Ashgabat, Batir and Bezmein suffered from underground strikes with a force of 9-10 points. Analyzing the consequences of the disaster, scientists came to the conclusion that the destruction is the result of an unsuccessful combination of unfavorable factors, first of all, the poor quality of buildings.
According to some reports, more than 10 thousand people died then. For others, it is 10 times more. Both of these figures have been classified for a long time, as, indeed, all information about natural disasters and catastrophes on Soviet territory.
7. The strongest earthquake in the Caucasus in the XX century
1988, December 7 - at 11:41 a.m. Moscow time, an earthquake occurred in Armenia, which destroyed the city of Spitak, destroyed the cities of Leninakan, Stepanavan, Kirovakan. 58 villages in the north-west of the republic were turned into ruins, almost 400 villages were partially destroyed. Tens of thousands of people died, 514 thousand people were left homeless. Over the past 80 years, this was the most powerful earthquake in the Caucasus.
Panel structures, as it turned out later, collapsed due to the fact that during their installation numerous violations of technology were made.
8. The most powerful - in the history of the United States
It happened off the coast of Alaska on March 27, 1964 (about 8.5 on the Richter scale). The epicenter was 120 kilometers east of the city of Anchorage, and Anchorage itself and the settlements around Prince William Sound were most affected. To the north of the epicenter, the land dropped 3.5 meters, and to the south it rose by at least two. The underground disaster caused a tsunami that devastated forests and port facilities along the coast of Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon and Northern California and reached Antarctica.
A lot of damage caused snowfalls, avalanches and landslides. The relatively small number of victims - 131 people - is due to the sparsely populated area, but there were other factors as well. The earthquake began in the morning, at 05:36, during the holidays, when schools and businesses were closed; almost no fires occurred. In addition, due to the accompanying low tide, the seismic wave was not as high as it could have been.
N. Nepomniachtchi