Here are some of the worst natural disasters of the century
First Published: 12th February, 2023 19:51 IST
The death toll across Turkey and Syria due to the earthquake passes 29000
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake classified as “major” on the official magnitude scale, was registered by the US Geological Survey in Turkey and Syria on Monday causing serious damages. The tremor of the earthquake was felt at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9km near the city of Gaziantep, Turkey. The second tremor felt had a magnitude of 7.5, with its epicentre in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras province of Turkey. The third quake hit Turkey with a magnitude of 7.1, followed by 14 tremors of after effect.
The first quake was recorded as one of the largest earthquakes in Turkey by Seismologists.
The death toll across Turkey and Syria due to the earthquake passes 29000. The number of injured in both Turkey and Syria has increased rapidly. Here are some of the worst natural disasters of the century
Let us have a look at some natural calamities to have hit mankind and caused severe damage:
1. December 26, 2004, INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI
A 9.15 magnitude earthquake off Sumatra on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami that barrelled into Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and many other countries in the region, killing at least 230,000 people, leaving 43,000 missing and devastating villages and tourist islands.

2. January 13, 2010 HAITI 2010 EARTHQUAKE
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 13, 2010, devastated Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince and killed about 316,000 people. The United Nations estimated 80,000 buildings in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas were destroyed.

3. May 2, 2008 MYANMAR CYCLONE
Cyclone Nargis swept across the Irrawaddy Delta and southern Yangon, the former capital, on the evening of May 2, 2008, with winds of 240 kph (150 mph). Nearly 140,000 people died and 2.4 million were severely affected.

4. May 12, 2008 CHINA QUAKE
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit China’s Sichuan province on May 12, 2008, killing about 87,600 people.

5. October 8, 2005 PAKISTAN QUAKE
A 7.6 magnitude quake that struck northeast of Islamabad on Oct. 8, 2005, killed at least 73,000 people. The quake also rocked Indian Kashmir, killing 1,244 there.

6. December 26, 2003 IRAN QUAKE
A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit Iran’s southeastern Kerman province on Dec. 26, 2003, and flattened the city of Bam, killing 31,000 people.

7. March 11, 2011 JAPAN QUAKE/TSUNAMI
A 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami struck Japan’s northeast on March 11, 2011, killing about 15,690 people. The earthquake also triggered the world’s biggest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

8. January 26, 2001 INDIA QUAKE
A 7.9 magnitude quake struck India’s industrial heartland of Gujarat on Jan. 26, 2001, killing at least 14,000 people, injuring over 150,000 and leaving millions of people homeless.

9. April 25, 2015 NEPAL QUAKE
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hammered Nepal on April 25, 2015, killing nearly 9,000 people and disrupting the lives of more than eight million.

10. September 28, 2018 INDONESIA QUAKE/TSUNAMI
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Sept. 28, 2018, resulting in a 1.5 metre (4.9 ft)-high tsunami and killing more than 4,300 people.

11. August 14, 2021 HAITI 2021 QUAKE
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti on Aug. 14, 2021, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying or damaging about 13,000 homes.

12. August 29, 2005 HURRICANE KATRINA
Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, swamping floodwalls, putting much of the city under 15 feet (4.57 m) of water and killing about 1,800 people. Most victims were in Louisiana, but neighbouring Mississippi also was hard hit.

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