Tangshan Earthquake
Although some say there were early
warnings of the Tangshan earthquake, it hit Chinese civilians unexpectedly at
3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976, shaking people from their beds and leveling the
entire city in a matter of seconds. The 7.8-magnitude quake killed more than
240,000 people, leaving survivors without access to water, food, or
electricity. Relief workers also caused an accidental traffic jam on the only
drivable road, and although 80 percent of those stuck under the rubble were
saved, a 7.1-magnitude aftershock struck the afternoon of the 28th, killing
many more and cutting off access to those trying to provide aid, making it one
of the deadliest quakes of the 20th century.
Haiyuan Earthquake
The Haiyuan earthquake hit Dec. 16,
1920, killing more than 73,000 in China’s Haiyuan County and approximately
127,000 in surrounding areas. The 7.8-magnitude quake—reported as 8.5 magnitude
by Chinese news sources—caused nearly all of the houses to collapse in Longde
and Huining, with damages in seven provinces and regions, including dammed
rivers, landslides, and severe cracks in the ground. Seiches were even observed
in various lakes and fjords in Norway. Aftershocks from the earthquake occurred
as long as three years later, but the effects did not come close to the
severity of the first.
Aleppo Earthquake
Set in a nest of fault lines in
northern Syria, Aleppo—now known as Halab—was hit with an 8.5-magnitude
earthquake in 1138, jolting areas as far as 200 miles away from the city. The most
damage was seen in Harem, where crusaders had built a large citadel that was
crumbled below the castle, killing 600 castle guards at the time. Although
residents of Aleppo were warned by foreshocks and some fled to the countryside,
the quake was much larger than anticipated, and the city and all homes
surrounding it were brought to the ground.
AFPIndian Ocean Earthquake
Underwater earthquakes are believed
to be the most dangerous because they can create tsunamis and tidal waves,
which is exactly what happened on Dec. 26, 2004, when the Indian Ocean
earthquake wreaked havoc on India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—and
beyond. With a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3, this earthquake is the second
largest ever recorded, and it also had the longest duration, lasting between
eight and 10 minutes. Devastating tsunamis hit land masses bordering the ocean,
prompting a widespread humanitarian response. Initially, reports said the quake
killed approximately 100,000, but later calculations showed it resulted in more
than 230,000 deaths.
Damghan Earthquake
In 856, in the area we now know as
Iran, an earthquake of 8.0 magnitude hit the capital city of Damghan,
destroying the city, countryside, and nearly every village within 200 miles of
the epicenter. Situated between two major tectonic plates, Iran is an area of
frequent earthquake activity, but residents of Damghan were unprepared for a
temblor of this magnitude. The quake resulted in approximately 200,000 deaths.
Ardabil Earthquake
Another Iranian earthquake hit Feb.
28, 1997, when the 15-second quake rippled through northern Iran, with deaths
tallying up to 150,000. There was severe damage to roads and electrical power
lines, and all communications and water distribution became near impossible,
leaving the city of Ardabil in a state of desperation. Hospitals overflowed
with patients, and even as it tried to recover, the area was hit with nearly
350 aftershocks, the highest recorded at 5.2 on the Richter scale.
Hokkaido Earthquake
In 1730, an 8.3-magnitude earthquake
hit Japan’s second largest island, Hokkaido, causing landslides, power outages,
road damage, and a tsunami causing 137,000 fatalities. The island was struck by
a similar, though not as intense, earthquake in 2003.
Ashgabat Earthquake
The 7.3-magnitude earthquake that
hit Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat, in 1948 tore much of the city down,
collapsing almost all of its brick buildings, heavily damaging concrete
structures, and derailing freight trains with effects felt across the border in
the Darreh Gaz region of Iran. The Turkmen government has upwardly revised the
official death toll from 110,000 to 176,000; the quake also killed the mother
of future dictator Saparmurat Niyazov and resulted in his placement in a Soviet
orphanage, an important component of the former leader’s self-mythology.
No comments:
Post a Comment