Deadliest Earthquakes in History

Date

Location

Deaths

Magnitude

Comments

January 23, 1556

China, Shansi

830,000

~8

December 26, 2004

Sumatra

283,106

9.0

Deaths from earthquake and tsunami.

July 27, 1976

China, Tangshan

255,000
(official)

7.5

Estimated death toll as high as 655,000.

August 9, 1138

Syria, Aleppo

230,000

May 22, 1927

China, near Xining

200,000

7.9

Large fractures.

December 22, 856+

Iran, Damghan

200,000

December 16, 1920

China, Gansu

200,000

8.6

Major fractures, landslides.

March 23, 893+

Iran, Ardabil

150,000

September 1, 1923

Japan, Kanto
(Kwanto)

143,000

7.9

Great Tokyo fire.

October 5, 1948

USSR
(Turkmenistan, Ashgabat)

110,000

7.3

December 28, 1908

Italy, Messina

70,000 to 100,000
(estimated)

7.2

Deaths from earthquake and tsunami.

September, 1290

China, Chihli

100,000

November, 1667

Caucasia, Shemakha

80,000

November 18, 1727

Iran, Tabriz

77,000

November 1, 1755

Portugal, Lisbon

70,000

8.7

Great tsunami.

December 25, 1932

China, Gansu

70,000

7.6

May 31, 1970

Peru

66,000

7.9

$530,000,000 damage, great rock slide, floods.

1268

Asia Minor, Silicia

60,000

January 11, 1693

Italy, Sicily

60,000

May 30, 1935

Pakistan, Quetta

30,000 to 60,000

7.5

Quetta almost completely destroyed.

February 4, 1783

Italy, Calabria

50,000

June 20, 1990

Iran

50,000

7.7

Landslides.