The Deadliest Quakes

Wed., Jan. 18, 1995

Some of the 20th century’s deadliest earthquakes. The location is followed by the magnitude and the death toll.

July 28, 1976. Tangshan, China, 7.8 to 8.2, official figure: 242,000. Unofficial estimates: as many as 800,000.

May 22, 1927. China, 8.3, 200,000.

Sept. 1, 1923, Japan. 8.3, 100,000.

Dec. 16, 1920. China, 8.6, 100,000.

June 21, 1990. Iran, 7.3 - 7.7, 50,000.

Jan. 24, 1939. Chile, 8.3, 28,000.

Dec. 7, 1988. Soviet Armenia, 6.9, 25,000.

Sept. 16, 1978. Iran, 7.7, 25,000.

Feb. 4, 1976. Guatemala, 7.5, 22,778.

Aug. 16, 1906. Chile, 8.6, 20,000.

Jan. 15, 1934. India, 8.4, 10,700.

Sept. 30, 1993. India, 6.4, 9,700.

Sept. 19, 1985. Mexico, 8.1, 9,500.

Aug. 17, 1976. Philippines, 7.8, 8,000.

May 21-30, 1960. Chile, 9.5 (revised from original estimate of 8.3), 5,000.

Nov. 23, 1980, Italy. 7.2, 4,800.

April 18-19, 1906. San Francisco, 8.3, 452.

March 27, 1964, Alaska. 8.4, 131.

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The Deadliest Quakes

Jesse Tinsley

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