A glance at the world’s deadliest quakes in past 25 years

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/02/2023 (973 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and war-torn Syria on Monday has killed more than 20,700 people in the two countries. Emergency crews are still searching for survivors but in some areas work is now underway to demolish unsteady buildings.

Here are some of the world’s deadliest earthquakes in the past 25 years:

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— Feb. 6, 2023: In Turkey and Syria, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake kills more than 20,700 people.

— June 22, 2022: In Afghanistan, more than 1,100 people die in magnitude 6.1 earthquake.

— Aug. 14, 2021: In Haiti, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake kills more than 2,200 people.

— Sept. 28, 2018: A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hits Indonesia, triggering a tsunami and killing more than 4,300 people.

— April 25, 2015: In Nepal, more than 8,800 people are killed by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

— March 11, 2011: A magnitude 9.0 quake off the northeast coast of Japan triggers a tsunami, killing more than 18,400 people.

— Jan. 12, 2010: In Haiti, over 100,000 people are killed by a magnitude 7.0 quake. Government estimates put the number at a staggering 316,000 dead.

— May 12, 2008: A magnitude 7.9 quake strikes eastern Sichuan in China, resulting in over 87,500 deaths.

— May 27, 2006: More than 5,700 people die when a magnitude 6.3 quake hits the island of Java, Indonesia.

— Oct. 8, 2005: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake kills over 80,000 people in Pakistan’s Kashmir region.

— March 28, 2005: A magnitude 8.6 quake in northern Sumatra in Indonesia kills about 1,300 people.

— Dec. 26, 2004: A magnitude 9.1 quake in Indonesia triggers an Indian Ocean tsunami, killing about 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

— Dec. 26, 2003: A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits southeastern Iran, resulting in more than 20,000 deaths.

— May 21, 2003: More than 2,200 people are killed in a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Algeria.

— Jan. 26, 2001: A magnitude 7.6 quake strikes Gujarat in India, killing as many as 20,000 people.

— Aug. 17, 1999: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake hits Izmit, Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.

— May 30, 1998: Over 4,000 people are killed after a 6.6 magnitude temblor hits Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.

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Source: U.S. Geological Survey