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Top 10 Deadliest Earthquakes
Last Saturday’s earthquake in Nepal measured 7.8 on the richter scale. The earthquake spread horror from Kathmandu to small villages and to the slopes of Mount Everest, triggering an avalanche that buried part of the base camp packed with foreign climbers looking forward to their summit attempts. At least 4,400 people have died so far, including a Google executive. But the recent earthquake is not the deadliest earthquake to hit the world…This list examines the ten most powerful earthquakes in world history
10. Magnitude 8.6 in Alaska
One of two great disasters to hit Alaska and one of the biggest earthquakes in history. With such deadly seismic activity, Alaska does not seem to be the safest place to be! The Andrean of Islands were closest to the epicentre of this earthquake, which was followed by two tsunamis that traveled as far as Japan. Alaska is not that much populated, so the death toll was small.
9. Magnitude 8.8 in Ecuador and Colombia
At the beginning of the last century…The earthquake hit on 01/31/1906 off of the coast of Ecuador and Colombia generating a strong tsunami which killed 500 – 1500 people. It was observed all along the coast of Central America and as far north as San Francisco and west to Japan, the wave arrived in Hilo at about 12.5 hours after the earthquake.
8. Magnitude 8.8 in Chile
Back in our days and yet again in Chile, this earthquake stroke Maule in 2010. This hazard killed 500 and injured another 12,000, while a stunning 1 million people were forced to relocate. Also, it caused huge loss of 30 billion $ to the economy of this country. It was followed by 300 aftershocks, of which 21 were recorded as having magnitudes over 6.0.
7. Magnitude 9.0 in Chile
Most of you have no knowledge of this earthquake probably, as it happened long before any of us were born, in 1868. It took place in Arica, which was then part of Peru and now belongs to Chile. Arica suffered almost complete destruction and 25,000 people were killed. Tsunamis that followed this disaster were recorded as far as New Zealand.
6. Magnitude 9.0 in Cascadia, Pacific Ocean
Even though there are no records of this earthquake in the Cascadia area (northern California, as well as Oregon, Washington and the South of British Columbia) we know that it happened in 1700, because geologists gathered evidence of it . Even the estimated hour of the event could be determined by the huge tsunami that hit Japan , where this happening was recorded.
5. Magnitude 9.0 in Russia
Kamchatka, Russia, was the place where the 5th biggest earthquake in the recorded history took place. The year was 1952. Fortunately the number of fatalities was significantly lower than in the case of the previous earthquakes, because of its localisation and the small amount of people living in the area. The tsunami that followed caused great destruction and travelled as far as California and Japan.
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