There is an earthquake in China now. Deadliest earthquake ever recorded

Earthquakes in China are not a rare occurrence. China is an earthquake-prone country and from time to time there are monstrous and destructive earthquakes. Historically, those earthquakes that were located in the belt from Yongnian to Beijing itself were especially frequent. The most powerful and destructive earthquakes have historically occurred in these same areas. Moreover, they were the most destructive not only for the Celestial Empire, but for the whole world as a whole.

Among the most famous earthquakes in Chinese history is the one that occurred in 1556 in Xi'an province. As eyewitnesses of this terrible event said, entire cities often sank into the very ground, and small dwellings were destroyed in a matter of seconds. What makes the event especially tragic is the time when it all happened. And it was only five o’clock in the morning, when most families were in their homes. In this way, about 830 thousand people died.

The province itself is located on the banks of the great river called the Yellow River. In this area, loose sediments surround the plains. And this is not the first terrible earthquake. You can tell about another incident that happened closer to our century. It was in 1976 on July 28. It was 3 am on the local clock. The city that suffered this disaster was located east of Beijing and was called Tangshan.

The magnitude of the earthquake reached 8.2. It was an unprecedented event that claimed billions of lives. Factories, offices, residential buildings turned into ruins. We can say that the city practically ceased to exist, razed to the ground. A huge number of different cracks have formed in many areas of the city. Some of them were so large that they swallowed hospitals or trains overcrowded with passengers.

Few things can compare with these earthquakes in terms of scale and destructive power, but this does not mean that they were the only and last in the Middle Kingdom. A number of unpleasant events also occurred in our century. For example, V 2008 An earthquake occurred in the Chinese province of Sichuan. It was so strong that other countries also felt it. In particular, India, Russia, Mongolia, Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam. According to official data, the result was the death of 69,197 people, 288,431 people were injured, and 18 thousand people were completely missing.

But this is not the end. In 2010, an earthquake occurred in the Chinese province of Qinghai., whose magnitude was 6.9. The result of this disaster was the death of over 2,000 people. And an even larger number of people (about 12,000) received various numerous injuries. The event took place on April 14. The epicenter was located near the Yushu-Tibet Autonomous Region.

But perhaps the closest to our time should be considered earthquake in China that occurred in 2014 on August 3. This was in Yunnan province, that is, in the south of the Celestial Empire. Its magnitude was 6.5. As a result, approximately 12 thousand houses were destroyed, and even more (about 30 thousand) received very severe damage. 2,400 people were seriously injured, 617 people died and 112 were missing.

Immediately after all this happened, the government of the People's Republic of China sent a specialized team to the epicenter of the earthquake. There were 30 people there. They took with them 2 thousand tents, 3 thousand folding beds, blankets and coats in order to provide proper care for the victims of the disaster. As a result, the bulk of the affected people were relocated to other, safer areas of the country.

The premier of the State Council, Li Keqiang, was directly involved in the rescue operation. Yunnan Province itself received 536 million yuan in order to provide adequate assistance and another 50 million yuan for goods and various foodstuffs.

Asia is a seismically dangerous territory. In particular, an earthquake of 7-8 magnitude in China is a common occurrence. The destructive elements claim tens of thousands of lives in a matter of minutes. One of the worst was the 1976 China earthquake.

Geography of the country

China is the largest country in Asia and occupies the entire east of this part of the world. It ranks 3rd in the world in terms of area, second in size only to Russia and Canada. In terms of population, China surpasses all other countries on Earth.

Po occupies the Eurasian tectonic plate, which collides with the Hindustan Plate on the southwestern side. At the site of the collision, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau were formed, the modification of which under the influence of the geological activity of these areas continues to this day.

The collision of 2 tectonic plates is the main cause of seismic activity in China. Strong earthquakes of magnitude 7-8 are not uncommon here. They claim the lives of tens of thousands of victims in a matter of minutes.

Destructive earthquakes in China

History shows the following tragedies in China:

  • 1290 - shook in Chaykhli with a force of 6.7 points. About 100 thousand people became victims.
  • 1556 - the strongest earthquake in China in Shenxi with a magnitude of up to 8 points. At least 800 thousand people died. A huge number of people remained on the lists of missing persons, which gives every reason to believe that about a million Chinese were victims.
  • 1920 - earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.8 occurred in Gansu. More than 240 thousand people died.
  • 1927 - in the province of Nan-Xiang it shook with a force of 7.6 points. More than 40 thousand inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom became victims.
  • 1932 - an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 in the city of Changma killed more than 70 thousand residents.

China, Tangshan, 1976

In the summer of 1976, a terrible earthquake occurred in China, in the city of Tangshan, recognized as the most destructive in the 20th century. Its magnitude reached 8.2 points. It lasted only 15 seconds, but this one wiped the city off the face of the earth, destroying all the buildings practically into dust. On the summer night of July 28, 1976, about 250 thousand people died in China. However, most world experts agree that official sources greatly underestimated the number of victims. The real death toll is at least 650 thousand, and may reach 800 thousand people. In its geological nature, the earthquake in China in 1976 is comparable to the terrible natural disaster of 1556.

In memory of the victims, a stele was erected in the center of the rebuilt Tangshan. Real tragic events formed the basis for many television films. The most famous is the film “Earthquake” directed by Feng Xiaogang, released in 2010. The film demonstrates the amazing and uncontrollable power of natural disasters and shows how a few tragic seconds can ruin the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

New story

Tremors continue to bring misfortune to Asia's largest country:

  • 1999 - shook in Taiwan with a force of 7.6. More than 10 thousand people were injured, about 2.3 thousand died.
  • 2008 - another disaster in Eastern Sichuan with a magnitude of 7.9. About 90 thousand people died, more than 350 thousand were injured.
  • 2010 - Qinghai province was shaken with a magnitude of 7.1. Fortunately, this time experts reported the impending disaster in time - and the residents managed to evacuate, which helped to avoid a large number of casualties.
  • 2014 - an earthquake in Yunnan province of 6.1 points. More than 600 people died, with a total of up to 3 thousand injured.

Considering the high seismic activity of the region and the high population density, developments in the field of research and prediction of possible tremors in order to timely evacuate residents from dangerous areas are very relevant for China.

08/08/2017 - 22:07

A powerful earthquake occurred in China today, August 8, 2017. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center, the magnitude of the earthquake was 6.2. Tremors were recorded in the central province of Sichuan. The epicenter was located 273 km from the city of Chengdu, at a depth of approximately 2 km.

Eyewitnesses of the events continue to post videos and photos of the natural disaster online. Based on records, this earthquake affected a large area and many infrastructure facilities. Bridges, roads, and residential buildings were destroyed. People are leaving buildings in panic. There is a lot of dust in cities, making visibility difficult.

According to the national emergency response commission, hundreds of Chinese residents could become victims of the disaster. There may be thousands of victims. More than 20 thousand residential buildings and buildings were destroyed.

It also became known that an earthquake in China collapsed a hotel with two thousand guests. Rescuers are clearing the rubble that litters Sichuan province. Tremors collapsed the Tiantang Hotel near Jiuzhaigou National Park.

There were 2 thousand people in the hotel at that time. But only 500 were evacuated and taken to the parking lot. What happened to the rest of the guests is unknown. Rescuers hope that the tourists were not in their rooms at the time of the collapse. Perhaps they were in town or on an excursion. At the moment it is reported that about 100 people may be under the rubble.

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China has already experienced two powerful earthquakes in the past 24 hours. This night, tremors with a magnitude of 6.6 were recorded in the north-west of China. Meanwhile, the south-west of the country continues to be affected by the elements, where yesterday the impact was the most powerful, the magnitude reached 7. Echoes of the tremors even reached Novosibirsk. In the People's Republic of China, all efforts were devoted to eliminating the consequences of the disaster; about 40 thousand people were evacuated.

People in panic leave their homes, offices and supermarkets - whoever was caught in the earthquake - and run away from large buildings. It is unknown whether they will withstand the elements. The first tremors, including the most powerful, with a magnitude of 7, occurred at the beginning of ten in the evening local time. They were felt by residents of cities and towns located hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter, which was located in Jiuzhaigou County in Sichuan Province. Repeated strikes, although much weaker, followed one after another - they were counted more than 700. Most people chose to spend that night in cars or hastily erected tents. In the morning it became known that the same disaster was encountered in the north-west of the country. As a result of the earthquake of magnitude 6.6, dozens of houses were destroyed there and about twenty people were injured.

As for the data on the number of victims and injured as a result of the natural disaster in Sichuan province, the information is still extremely contradictory. According to official information, 13 people were killed, including six tourists. It is known that among them were citizens of France and Canada. Almost two hundred people received various injuries, about thirty of them were serious. However, according to Chinese media reports, which cite their sources in emergency services, an earthquake of such power could lead to much more serious consequences. According to experts, its strength would be enough to destroy thousands of buildings.

Authorities do not rule out that the death toll could rise to 100 people. The fate of a large group of tourists who found themselves near the epicenter at the time of the earthquake is still unknown. The Russian embassy in Beijing reported that at this hour there is no information that Russians were among the victims.

At these moments, a large-scale search and rescue operation is ongoing in the disaster zone. More than 40 thousand people, mostly tourists, have already been evacuated from there. Army and police units, fire brigades and militia units were sent to help rescuers. Neighboring provinces have already begun delivering basic necessities, drinking water, food, medicine, as well as tents and warm clothing - it is unknown how many more days and nights tens of thousands of people will not be able to get into their homes. Mild but quite noticeable repeated tremors do not stop, and seismologists do not exclude new serious impacts from the elements.