|
Year |
Location |
Magnitude |
Comment |
|
1934 |
Bihar, India-Nepal
|
8.1 |
10,700 deaths. One of the world's deadliest earthquakes.
Extreme damage (X) in the Sitamarhi-Madhubani, India area, where most
buildings tilted or sank up to 1 m
(3 ft) into the thick alluvium. Sand
covered the sunken floors up to 1 m
deep. This liquefaction damage extended
eastward through Supaul to Purnia,
India. In the Muzaffarpur-Darbhanga
area south of the zone of liquefaction
most buildings were shaken apart by
"typical" severe earthquake damage. Two
other areas of extreme damage (X) from
shaking occurred in the Munger
(Monghyr) area along the Ganges River,
India and in the Kathmandu Valley,
Nepal. Large fissures occurred in the
alluvial areas; one was 4.5 m (15 ft)
deep, 9 m wide and 300 m long. About
two-thirds of the casualties were in
India. The quake was also felt in
Tibet.
|
|
1944 |
San Juan, Argentina
|
7.4 |
More than 8,000 dead.
One of the world's deadliest earthquakes.
Severe destruction in the city of San
Juan; at least 12,000 people injured.
Damage also occurred in Mendoza
Province. This is the greatest number
of casualties for any earthquake in the
history of Argentina. Some estimates of
the death toll are as high as 10,000.
The quake was felt strongly (VI) in
Cordoba, La Rioja and San Luis
Provinces, Argentina and in the San
Felipe-Petorca area, Chile. About 7 km
(4 mi) of surface faulting at La Laja,
north of San Juan.
|
|
1968 |
Sicily
|
5.4 |
Several villages in western Sicily were destroyed by this
strong shock. It toppled houses, hospitals, medieval
castles, and churches in the worst disaster in this
country since the December 28, 1908 Messina earthquake.
Damage was estimated at $250 - $320 million,
with 216 killed and 563 injured.
From United States Earthquakes, 1968.
|
|
1993 |
Hokkaido, Japan Region
|
7.6 |
Two people killed, 614 injured and substantial damage (VI JMA) at Kushiro,
Hokkaido and Hachinohe, Honshu. Felt (V JMA) at Hiroo, Nemuro,
Obihiro, Otaru and Urakawa; (IV JMA) at Hakodate and Tomakomai;
(III JMA) at Sapporo, Hokkaido. Felt (IV JMA) at Aomori and
Morioka; (III JMA) at Akita, Fukushima, Sendai, Tokyo and
Yokohama, Honshu. Also felt (VII) on Shikotan and (VI) at
Kurilsk, Kuril Islands. Landslides and subsidence occurred in
the epicentral area.
|
|
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