The 10 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1900

The death toll from the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake in northern Japan continues to rise. As of this writing, according to one televised CNN news report, the confirmed number of dead from the quake and tsunami now stands at 5,692, with another 9,522 people officially listed as missing. Japanese government officials fear that the death toll from these twin natural disasters will far exceed 10,000.

Earlier this week, both the Japanese government and the U.S. Geological Survey upgraded the magnitude of the newly named Tohoku earthquake from 8.9 to 9.0, making it the 4^th most powerful seismic event in recorded history.

History tells us that a more powerful earthquake doesn't necessarily correlate to a higher number of fatalities. Only two quakes on the list of The 10 Most Powerful Earthquakes Since 1900 resulted in more than 5,000 people officially listed as killed. However, there have been a large number of quakes that resulted in an enormous loss of life - 100,000 or more fatalities. Most of these quakes fell in the range of magnitude 7.0 - 8.0, and occurred in regions of the world where structures quickly collapsed and landslides buried entire communities.

The deadliest earthquake in recorded history, estimated at magnitude 8.0, occurred in Shaanxi Province China on January 23, 1556. It killed approximately 830,000 people.

Here is a list of the Ten Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1900:

1. Northeastern China, July 27, 1976: Magnitude 7.5
Epicenter: NE China, E of Beijing, near Tangshan
Deaths: 255,000 (Official)
Although the Chinese government places the official death toll from the Tangshan earthquake of 1976 at 255,000, unofficial estimates are much higher at 655,000 dead and 799,000 injured. Extensive damage was reported from Beijing to Tangshan. This is the second deadliest earthquake in recorded history.

2. Sumatra, Indonesia, December 26, 2004. Magnitude: 9.1
Epicenter: 155 miles SSE of Banda Aceh in northern Sumatra
Deaths: 225,000
Initial estimates placed the numbers of dead and presumed dead at 286,000; however, the Indonesian government later reduced this figure to 225,000. It's estimated that over 1.7 million people in 14 southeast Asian countries were displaced by this earthquake and its ensuing tsunami, which was so powerful that tide gauges in the Atlantic Ocean recorded it.

3. Haiti, January 12, 2010. Magnitude 7.0
Epicenter: SE of Léogâne and SW of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
Deaths: 222,570
In addition to the enormous number of deaths, over 300,000 people were injured and 1.3 million people displaced by this earthquake and its ensuing tsunami. Nearly 300,000 buildings (mostly houses) either were demolished or damaged, most of them in the Port-Au-Prince area.

4. Central China, December 16, 1920 . Magnitude 7.9
Epicenter: Central China, SE of Haiyuan, near Niutuan
Deaths: 200,000
Over 73,000 people were killed in Haiyuan county, and an additional 30,000 deaths were reported in nearby Guyuan Province. Entire villages were buried by landslides, and two cities reported that nearly every house had collapsed. This earthquake caused a 125-mile long surface fault from Lijunbu to Jingtai.

5. Japan, September 1, 1923 (The Great Kantō Earthquake). Magnitude: 7.9
Epicenter: Sagami Bay near Oshima Island, W of Yokosuka, Japan
Deaths: 142,800
This earthquake caused widespread destruction in Yokohama and Tokyo. High winds from an approaching typhoon induced firestorms that burned to the ground or damaged an estimated 381,000 out of 694,000 houses crowded into this densely populated area.

6. Turkmenistan, October 5, 1948. Magnitude 7.3.
Epicenter: Mountainous region west of Asgabat, Turkmenistan
Deaths: 110,000
Most earthquake-related deaths occurred in the city of Asgabat and its surrounding villages, which received the brunt of the damage when most of the poorly constructed brick and concrete structures simply collapsed. Many deaths were also reported in the Darreh Gaz area of Iran.

7. Central China, May 12, 2008. Magnitude 7.9
Epicenter: Mountainous region of Sichuan Province, W of Chengdu, China
Deaths: 87,587
An additional 18,392 people were reported missing and presumed dead, and 374,177 were injured as a result of this quake. It's estimated that over 45 million people in China were somehow affected, with over 21 million buildings damaged and over 5 million people left homeless.

8. Kashmir, Pakistan, October 8, 2005. Magnitude 7.6
Epicenter: Mountainous region NE of Muzaffarabad, Kashmir, Pakistan
Deaths: 86,000
An additional 69,000 injuries were reported in the Muzaffarabad area of Kashmir, Pakistan, where entire villages were wiped out. Nearly 80 percent of the town of Uri was totally destroyed. An estimated 36,000-40,000 buildings throughout the affected area were either completely demolished or heavily damaged.

9. Southern Italy-Sicily, December 23, 1908. Magnitude 7.2
Epicenter: Southern Italy, NE of Reggio di Calabria, near Messina, Sicily
Deaths: 72,000
This earthquake occurred on the "toe" of Italy's "boot," but caused most deaths and destruction in Messina on the neighboring island of Sicily. Over 40 percent of that city's population was killed, and nearly 93 percent of its structures were either destroyed or heavily damaged. A 39-foot tsunami was observed south of Messina. Some estimates place the death toll closer to 110,000.

10. Peru, May 31, 1970. Magnitude 7.9
Epicenter: Pacific Ocean, approximately 100 miles SSW of Chimbote, Peru
Deaths: 70,000
Over 50,000 deaths were reported, and an additional 20,000 people reported missing and presumed dead from this earthquake and its ensuing landslides and avalanches. The village of Yungay, with its population of 20,000 was completely buried.

SOURCES:

Earthquakes With 1,000 or More Deaths Since 1900 - USGS.gov

Tokyo Earthquake of 1923 - Suite101.com article

Messina Earthquake of 1908 - Wikipedia article