100 deadliest earthquakes since 1900; Kashmir ranks #11
Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com
October 11, 2005
Officials said the death toll from Pakistan’s earthquake have surpassed 40,000, making the quake the eleventh or twelfth deadliest since 1900.
The 7.6 earthquake stuck the disputed India-Pakistan border region on October 8. Since the disaster, hundreds of millions of dollars worth in aid pledges have poured in from around the world.
While the death from the earthquake numbers in the tens of thousands, it does not rank in the top ten deadliest earthquakes since 1900. The Tangshan earthquake that shook China in 1976 may have killed some 650,000 people.
The U.S. Geological Survey, which tracks seismic activity, lists all earthquakes with 1,000 or more deaths from 1900. Below is a list that includes the 100 most deadly quakes since that date.
| Date-UTC | Location | Deaths | Rank | Magnitude | Comments |
| 1976-Jul-27 | China, Tangshan 39.6 N 118.0 E |
255,000 (official) |
1 | 7.5 | Estimated death toll as high as 655,000. |
| 2004-Dec-26 | Sumatra 3.30 N 95.87 E |
283,106 | 2 | 9 | Deaths from earthquake and tsunami. |
| 1920-Dec-16 | China, Gansu 35.8 N 105.7 E |
200,000 | 3 | 7.8 | Major fractures, landslides. |
| 1927-May-22 | China, Tsinghai 36.8 N 102.8 E |
200,000 | 4 | 7.9 | Large fractures. |
| 1923-Sep-1 | Japan, Kanto 35.0 N 139.5 E |
143,000 | 5 | 7.9 | Great Tokyo fire. |
| 1948-Oct-5 | USSR (Turkmenistan, Ashgabat) 38.0 N 58.3 E |
110,000 | 6 | 7.3 | |
| 1908-Dec-28 | Italy, Messina 38 N 15.5 E |
70,000 to 100,000 |
7 | 7.2 | Deaths from earthquake and tsunami. |
| 1932-Dec-25 | China, Gansu 39.7 N 97.0 E |
70,000 | 8 | 7.6 | |
| 1970-May-31 | Peru 9.2 S 78.8 W |
66,000 | 9 | 7.9 | $530,000,000 damage, great rock slide, floods. |
| 1990-Jun-20 | Western Iran 37.0 N 49.4 E |
40,000 to 50,000 |
10 | 7.7 | Landslides. |
| 1935-May-30 | Pakistan, Quetta 29.6 N 66.5 E |
30,000 to 60,000 |
11 | 7.5 | Quetta almost completely destroyed. |
| 1939-Dec-26 | Turkey, Erzincan 39.6 N 38 E |
30,000 | 12 | 7.8 | |
| 1915-Jan-13 | Italy, Avezzano 42 N 13.5 E |
29,980 | 13 | 7.5 | |
| 1939-Jan-25 | Chile, Chillan 36.2 S 72.2 W |
28,000 | 14 | 8.3 | |
| 2003-Dec-26 | Southeastern Iran 28.99 N 58.31 E |
26,200 | 15 | 6.6 | 30,000 injured, 85 percent of buildings damaged or destroyed and infrastructure damaged in the Bam area |
| 1988-Dec-7 | Armenia, Spitak 41.0 N 44.2 E |
25,000 | 16 | 6.8 | |
| 1976-Feb-4 | Guatemala 15.3 N 89.1 W |
23,000 | 17 | 7.5 | |
| 2001-Jan-26 | India 23.3 N 70.3 E |
20,023 | 18 | 7.7 | 166,836 injured, 600,000 homeless. |
| 1906-Aug-17 | Chile, Valparaiso 33 S 72 W |
20,000 | 19 | 8.2 | |
| 1974-May-10 | China 28.2 N 104.0 E |
20,000 | 20 | 6.8 | |
| 1905-Apr-4 | India, Kangra 33.0 N 76.0 E |
19,000 | 21 | 8.6 | |
| 1999-Aug-17 | Turkey 40.7 N 30.0 E |
17,118 | 22 | 7.6 | At least 50,000 injured, thousands homeless. Damage estimate at 3 to 6.5 billion USD. |
| 1968-Aug-31 | Iran 34.0 N 59.0 E |
12,000 to 20,000 |
23 | 7.3 | |
| 1917-Jan-21 | Indonesia, Bali 8.0 S 115.4 E |
15,000 | 24 | ||
| 1978-Sep-16 | Iran 33.2 N 57.4 E |
15,000 | 25 | 7.8 | |
| 1960-Feb-29 | Morocco, Agadir 30 N 9 W |
10,000 to 15,000 |
26 | 5.7 | Occurred at shallow depth just under city. |
| 1962-Sep-1 | Iran, Qazvin 35.6 N 49.9 E |
12,230 | 27 | 7.3 | |
| 1907-Oct-21 | Central Asia 38 N 69 E |
12,000 | 28 | 8.1 | |
| 1934-Jan-15 | India, Bihar-Nepal 26.6 N 86.8 E |
10,700 | 29 | 8.1 | |
| 1918-Feb-13 | China, Kwangtung (Guangdong) 23.5 N 117.0 E |
10,000 | 30 | 7.3 | |
| 1933-Aug-25 | China 32.0 N 103.7 E |
10,000 | 31 | 7.4 | |
| 1970-Jan-4 | Yunnan Province, China 24.1 N 102.5 E |
10,000 | 32 | 7.5 | |
| 1975-Feb-4 | China 40.6 N 122.5 E |
10,000 | 33 | 7 | |
| 1985-Sep-19 | Mexico, Michoacan 18.2 N 102.5 W |
9,500 (official) |
34 | 8 | Estimated death toll as high as 30,000. |
| 1993-Sep-29 | India, Latur-Killari 18.1 N 76.5 E |
9,748 | 35 | 6.2 | |
| 1976-Aug-16 | Philippines, Mindanao 6.3 N 124.0 E |
8,000 | 36 | 7.9 | |
| 1949-Aug-5 | Ecuador, Ambato 1.2 S 78.5 E |
6,000 | 37 | 6.8 | Large landslides, topographical changes. |
| 1995-Jan-16 | Japan, Kobe 34.6 N 135 E |
5,502 | 38 | 6.9 | Landslide, liquifaction. |
| 1909-Jan-23 | Iran 33.4 N 49.1 E |
5,500 | 39 | 7.3 | |
| 1948-Jun-28 | Japan, Fukui 36.1 N 136.2 E |
5,390 | 40 | 7.3 | |
| 1974-Dec-28 | Pakistan 35.0 N 72.8 E |
5,300 | 41 | 6.2 | |
| 1972-Apr-10 | Iran, southern 28.4 N 52.8 E |
5,054 | 42 | 7.1 | |
| 1923-Mar-24 | China 31.3 N 100.8 E |
5,000 | 43 | 7.3 | |
| 1925-Mar-16 | China, Yunnan 25.5 N 100.3 E |
5,000 | 44 | 7.1 | Talifu almost completely destroyed. |
| 1944-Jan-15 | Argentina, San Juan 31.6 S 68.5 W |
5,000 | 45 | 7.8 | Reports of as many as 8,000 killed. |
| 1972-Dec-23 | Nicaragua, Managua 12.4 N 86.1 W |
5,000 | 46 | 6.2 | |
| 1976-Nov-24 | Northwest Iran-USSR border 39.1 N 44.0 E |
5,000 | 47 | 7.3 | Deaths estimated. |
| 1902-Dec-16 | Turkestan 40.8 N 72.6 E |
4,500 | 48 | 6.4 | |
| 1960-May-22 | Chile 39.5 S 74.5 W |
4,000 to 5,000 |
49 | 9.5* | Tsunami, volcanic activity, floods. |
| 1942-Nov-26 | Turkey 40.5 N 34.0 E |
4,000 | 50 | 7.6 | |
| 1943-Nov-26 | Turkey 41.0 N 33.7 E |
4,000 | 51 | 7.6 | |
| 1945-Nov-27 | Iran 25.0 N 60.5 E |
4,000 | 52 | 8.2 | |
| 1998-May-30 | Afghanistan-Tajikistan Border Region 37.1 N 70.1 E |
4,000 | 53 | 6.9 | At least 4,000 people killed, many thousands injured and homeless in Badakhshan and Takhar Provinces, Afghanistan. |
| 1980-Oct-10 | Algeria, El Asnam (formerly Orleansville) 36.1 N 1.4 E |
3,500 | 54 | 7.7 | |
| 1929-May-1 | Iran 38 N 58 E |
3,300 | 55 | 7.4 | |
| 1935-Apr-20 | Formosa 24.0 N 121.0 E |
3,280 | 56 | 7.1 | |
| 1927-Mar-7 | Japan, Tango 35.8 N 134.8 E |
3,020 | 57 | 7.6 | |
| 1942-Dec-20 | Turkey, Erbaa 40.9 N 36.5 E |
3,000 | 58 | 7.3 | Some reports of 1,000 killed. |
| 1969-Jul-25 | Eastern China 21.6 N 111.9 E |
3,000 | 59 | 5.9 | |
| 1980-Nov-23 | Italy, southern 40.9 N 15.3 E |
3,000 | 60 | 7.2 | |
| 1906-Apr-18 | San Francisco, California 38.0 N 123.0 W |
about 3,000 | 61 | 7.8 | Deaths from earthquake and fire. |
| 1981-Jun-11 | Iran, southern 29.9 N 57.7 E |
3,000 | 62 | 6.9 | |
| 1933-Mar-2 | Japan, Sanriku 39.0 N 143.0 E |
2,990 | 63 | 8.4 | |
| 1944-Feb-1 | Turkey 41.4 N 32.7 E |
2,800 | 64 | 7.4 | Reports of as many as 5,000 killed. |
| 1982-Dec-13 | Western Arabian Peninsula 14.7 N 44.4 E |
2,800 | 65 | 6 | |
| 1935-Jul-16 | Taiwan 24.4 N 120.7 E |
2,700 | 66 | 6.5 | |
| 1966-Aug-19 | Turkey, Varto 39.2 N 41.7 E |
2,520 | 67 | 7.1 | |
| 1905-Sep-8 | Italy, Calabria 39.4 N 16.4 E |
2,500 | 68 | 7.9 | |
| 1930-May-6 | Iran 38.0 N 44.5 E |
2,500 | 69 | 7.2 | |
| 1992-Dec-12 | Flores Region, Indonesia 8.5 S 121.9 E |
2,500 | 70 | 7.5 | Tsunami ran inland 300 meters; wave height 25 meters. |
| 1931-Mar-31 | Nicaragua 13.2 N 85.7 W |
2,400 | 71 | 5.6 | |
| 1998-Feb-04 | Afghanistan-Tajikistan Border Region 37.1 N 70.1 E |
2,323 | 72 | 6.1 | 818 injured, 8,094 houses destroyed, 6,725 livestock killed. |
| 1975-Sep-6 | Turkey 38.5 N 40.7 E |
2,300 | 73 | 6.7 | |
| 1999-Sep-20 | Taiwan 23.7 N 121.0 E |
2,297 | 74 | 7.7 | Over 8,700 injured, over 600,000 homeless. Damage estimate at 14 billion USD. |
| 2003-May-21 | Northern Algeria 36.90 N 3.71 E |
2,266 | 75 | 6.8 | 10,261 injured, 150,000 homeless, more than 1,243 buildings damaged or destroyed. |
| 1903-Apr-28 | Turkey 39.1 N 42.5 E |
2,200 | 76 | 6.3 | |
| 1923-May-25 | Iran 35.3 N 59.2 E |
2,200 | 77 | 5.7 | |
| 1998-Jul-17 | Papua New Guinea, 2.96 S 141.9 E |
2,183 | 78 | 7 | Thousands injured, about 9,500 homeless and about 500 missing as a result of a tsunami with maximum wave heights estimated at 10 meters. |
| 1902-Apr-19 | Guatemala 14 N 91 W |
2,000 | 79 | 7.5 | |
| 1991-Oct-19 | Northern India 30.8 N 78.8 E |
2,000 | 80 | 7 | |
| 1995-May-27 | Sakhalin Island 52.6 N 142.8 E |
1,989 | 81 | 7.5 | |
| 1912-Aug-9 | Marmara Sea 40.5 N 27 E |
1,950 | 82 | 7.8 | |
| 1945-Jan-12 | Japan Mikawa 34.8 N 137.0 E |
1,900 | 83 | 7.1 | |
| 1917-Jul-30 | China 28.0 N 104.0 E |
1,800 | 84 | 6.5 | |
| 1903-Apr-19 | Turkey 39.1 N 42.4 E |
1,700 | 85 | ||
| 1990-Jul-16 | Luzon, Philippine Islands 15.7 N 121.2 E |
1,621 | 86 | 7.8 | Landslides, subsidence, and sandblows. |
| 1907-Jan-14 | Jamaica, Kingston 18.2 N 76.7 W |
1,600 | 87 | 6.5 | |
| 1997-May-10 | Northern Iran 33.9 N 59.7 E |
1,560 | 88 | 7.5 | 4,460 injured, 60,000 homeless. |
| 1950-Aug-15 | India, Assam, Tibet 28.7 N 96.6 E |
1,530 | 89 | 8.6 | Great topographical changes, landslides, floods. |
| 1977-Mar-4 | Romania 45.8 N 26.8 E |
1,500 | 90 | 7.2 | |
| 1981-Jul-28 | Iran, southern 30.0 N 57.8 E |
1,500 | 91 | 7.3 | |
| 1988-Aug-20 | Nepal-India border region 26.8 N 86.6 E |
1,450 | 92 | 6.6 | |
| 1930-Jul-23 | Italy 41.1 N 15.4 E |
1,430 | 93 | 6.5 | |
| 1946-Nov-10 | Peru, Ancash 8.3 S 77.8 W |
1,400 | 94 | 7.3 | Landslides, great destruction. |
| 1983-Oct-30 | Turkey 40.3 N 42.2 E |
1,342 | 95 | 6.9 | |
| 1946-Dec-20 | Japan, Tonankai 32.5 N 134.5 E |
1,330 | 96 | 8.1 | |
| 2005-Mar-28 | Northern Sumatra, Indonesia 2.07 N 97.01 E |
1,313 | 97 | 8.7 | |
| 1906-Mar-16 | Formosa, Kagi (Taiwan) 23.6 N 120.5 E |
1,300 | 98 | 7.1 | |
| 1946-May-31 | Turkey 39.5 N 41.5 E |
1,300 | 99 | 6 | |
| 1954-Sep-9 | Algeria, Orleansville 36 N 1.6 E |
1,250 | 100 | 6.8 |
Below is a look at the most deadly earthquake in US history.
100 years after America’s deadliest quake, evidence gone and questions remain
Stanford University news release
A century after the deadliest earthquake in American history leveled San Francisco, key events in its aftermath remain shrouded in mystery. Kevin Starr, professor of history at the University of Southern California and California State Librarian Emeritus, argues that ineptitude and fear turned the natural disaster into a manufactured catastrophe.
Some 450 people attended Starr’s talk at Kresge Auditorium on Sept. 29—the first of seven in the Quake ’06 Centennial Lecture Series presented by Stanford and the University of California-Berkeley. Stanford history Professor David Kennedy introduced Starr, who is author of a dozen books on California, including a multi-volume history. Quoting from Vachel Lindsay’s poem honoring William Jennings Bryan, Kennedy described Starr as a “Gigantic troubadour, speaking like a siege gun / Smashing Plymouth Rock with his boulders from the West.”
In what Kennedy called a “conspicuously stentorian voice,” Starr argued that actions by “the oligarchy of San Francisco” in response to the earthquake revealed the “inner evil subconscious” that belied a city “frightened of its underclass” while “entering upon the high tide of its identity.”
True Western spirit
The estimated 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit San Francisco at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. It shook the city in two phases lasting 45 seconds. “City hall collapsed instantly,” Starr noted. “Facades fell from homes, revealing the furniture within.”
Starr said that despite claims after the disaster that “everyone behaved magnificently, with courage, panache and intelligence,” as an “example of true Western spirit,” city officials made questionable decisions before and after the earthquake.
Three years earlier, Fire Chief Engineer Dennis Sullivan had warned the board of supervisors that the city’s water system needed correction, but it was never fixed. Water mains burst in the earthquake. Citing San Francisco Is Burning author Dennis Smith, Starr asserted that the second greatest catastrophe in the event was the death of Sullivan, who was mortally wounded in the earthquake. Sullivan had “extensively studied the [1904] fire of Baltimore,” but without his direction, a “fractured leadership,” headed by U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Frederick Funston, repeated the mistakes made there.
Starr dismissed as folklore accounts claiming that two firestorms naturally swept through San Francisco after the quake. He noted that Funston had “assumed de facto control of the city” and decided within hours of the quake to fight fire with fire, despite having no experience in firefighting. “The army and a reluctant but bullied fire department seemed determined to destroy San Francisco,” Starr claimed. “The black powder used to level many buildings turned [them] into Roman candles. The more this technique failed, the more it was employed.”
Starr jocundly claimed that “one of the gentlemen in charge” of dynamiting buildings was “heavily under the influence of alcohol as he banged away at buildings that otherwise could have been saved.” But a report submitted by Capt. Le Vert Coleman, head of the 1906 dynamiting party, suggests a different handling of the incident. Coleman wrote that he found John Bermingham, superintendent of the California Powderworks and a civilian expert on explosives, to be “so far under the influence of liquor as to be of no service, and, lest he should in that condition cause serious accident,” Coleman “sent him away.”
Questionable judgment
In another example of questionable judgment, Mayor Eugene Schmitz issued a shoot-to-kill order early in the disaster, despite “no evidence whatsoever of wholesale looting,” Starr said. “Practically the first thing he says is that looters would be shot on sight.” At least 15 alleged looters were killed.
Rumors and official accounts portrayed San Francisco inaccurately, Starr claimed, including tales of Asian-like “ghouls roaming streets” biting earlobes and fingers off the dead for their jewelry. In the “collective civic meltdown,” unassimilated minorities were the first target, he said. Publicly, the controlled language of promotional literature even ignored the earthquake itself. “The accepted, politically correct designation was the Great Fire of April 1906, not the Great Earthquake and Fire,” he said.
Katrina parallels
Recent re-examinations of coroners’ reports from 1906 have concluded that 3,000 to 5,000 people died during the event, much higher than the official death toll of about 300. Starr asserts that the higher figure was “squelched by an oligarchy eager to rebuild the city, hence to disconnect it from its reputation of being a dangerous place.” He added, “Did the denial of these casualty figures suggest other denials as well?”
The greatest mystery of the earthquake remains the disappearance of its archives. Henry Morse Stephens, a professor of history at the University of California-Berkeley, was commissioned to build an archive of the earthquake for the university’s Bancroft Library. After his death in 1919, the library de-accessioned his records. They have never been found.
In comments linking the reconstruction of San Francisco after 1906 to the question of rebuilding New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Starr pitted the geological reasons not to rebuild San Francisco against the intrinsic persistence of cities: “Once they’re dreamed once they’ve been there, they never disappear.”
Starr will repeat this lecture at UC-Berkeley on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in 155 Dwinelle Hall. The next speaker in the series, author Malcolm E. Barker, will continue with historical and social perspectives on the earthquake in his talk, “Through the Eyes of the Survivors,” on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium. Other speakers in the series, which continues to March 2006, will focus on other aspects of the 1906 quake, including Earth science, engineering, preparedness and disaster response. The series is funded by the President’s Fund, the John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center, the School of Earth Sciences and the Bill Lane Center for the Study of the North American West at Stanford, and the University of California-Berkeley
This report used information from USGS and a news release from Stanford University.