Top 10 deadliest earthquakes in history
The people of Afghanistan have been through some harrowing times from decades of war to crippling poverty. However, the crises don’t seem to end anytime soon. A powerful earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck a mountainous and remote region in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 22. At least 1,000 people have been killed in the quake and the casualties are expected to rise.
Over 1,500 people have been injured according to estimates so far. The Taliban government is scrambling to reach the affected areas but their efforts have been hampered by poor infrastructure and the remoteness of the region. The Taliban has also appealed to various countries for aid. India has said it is committed to providing assistance to Afghanistan in this time of need. The United Nations (UN) has also offered help and Japan and South Korea are also among some countries sending aid.
Earthquakes of magnitude above 6 are often considered serious. However, the current 5.9 earthquake is not the strongest quake to have hit Afghanistan or the world. But it is the first deadliest earthquake in Afghanistan in nearly two decades. The last deadliest quake of such casualties was in 1991 when over 800 people were killed.
Earthquakes in the Hindu Kush mountain region, at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, are quite common.
We have compiled a list of the top 10 deadliest earthquakes recorded in history:
2010 - HAITI - 7 MAGNITUDE
The magnitude 7 earthquake in Haiti resulted in at least 3,16,000 casualties. Though the death toll is disputed, some pit the figure at 2,20,000. The quake was so powerful that neighbouring countries Cuba and Venezuela also felt the tremors. It is still one of the top most devastating natural disasters ever recorded in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced in Haiti as a result.
2004 - INDONESIA - 9.1 MAGNITUDE
The massive 9.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Sumatra, Indonesia is the third most powerful earthquake recorded in history. There is still no record of a magnitude 10 earthquake. The earthquake killed at least 2,27,899 people across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. Indonesia was the worst hit. The earthquake in the Indian Ocean also resulted in devastating tsunamis ranging from 15-30 metres in height.
2008 - CHINA - 7.9 MAGNITUDE
A 7.9-8.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Sichuan province in southwestern China killing as many as 87,000 people and injuring over 3,70,000 people.
2011 - JAPAN - 9.1 MAGNITUDE
The other 9.1 magnitude earthquake in the world occurred in Japan. The resulting tsunami killed around 18,000 people. The earthquake also resulted in damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant resulting in a nuclear disaster as well.
2015 - NEPAL - 7.8 MAGNITUDE
The year was definitely a bad one for the world as powerful earthquakes shook several countries. A 7.8 earthquake in Nepal killed over 8,000 people, a rendered hundreds of thousands of people displaced. It was the worst natural disaster reported in Nepal since 1934.
1998 - AFGHANISTAN - 6.6 MAGNITUDE
There were two earthquakes that struck the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan in this year, just a few months apart. This is in our list as it is the worst earthquake in recent history to have hit the Hindu Kush region, the region that is currently affected.
The first quake in February in the province of Takhar killed around 2,300 people (some estimate the casualties at 4,000). The second quake of 6.6 magnitude struck the same region in May, killing around 4,700 people.
If we look a little back in time, there have been more deadly earthquakes in human history-
1923 - JAPAN - 7.9 MAGNITUDE
A 7.9 earthquake in Japan killed over 1,42,000 people. It also resulted in the collapse of over half of the brick buildings at the time. The quake also triggered tsunamis with a height of up to 12m. The earthquake was followed by fires and tornados.
1960 - CHILE - 9.5 MAGNITUDE
The 9.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile is the most powerful quake ever measured in history. The disaster lasted for about 10 minutes and killed around 1,000-6,000 people.
1976 - CHINA - 7.5 MAGNITUDE
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Tangshan in China killing over 2,42,000 people.
There are a few more deadly earthquakes recorded in ancient history–
1556 (16TH CENTURY) - CHINA - 8 MAGNITUDE
A magnitude 8 earthquake struck China’s Shaanxi region, killing a massive 8,30,000 people at the time. The impact of the quake was such that in some counties, it is estimated that 60% of the population was killed.
In ancient history, earthquakes in Antakya in modern-day Turkey (526 AD), also killed lakhs of people and sent cities into complete ruin. In 856 AD, an entire city had to be abandoned due to the extensive damage caused by a 7.9 earthquake.
While natural disasters don’t kill a lot of people anymore, earthquakes are still highly unpredictable and oftentimes trigger a domino effect of disaster risking the fate same as in ancient times.