China: history of deadly quakes
12/05/2008 16:19  - (SA)  

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Up to 5 000 killed, says China 900 feared buried after quake Buildings evacuated after quake Quake strikes western China

Beijing - Following Monday's 7.8-magnitude quake in southwestern China, which killed thousands, here is a list of China's deadliest earthquakes since 1920.

December 16 1920: 230 000 perish in an earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale in the southern province of Gansu.

- May 23 1927: 41 000 people die in Gansu in an earthquake measuring 8.0.

- December 26 1932: An earthquake measuring 7.6 leaves 70 000 dead, again in Gansu.

- January 5 1970: 15 621 are killed after an earthquake measuring 7.8 in southwestern Yunnan province.

- May 11 1974: 10 000 die in Sichuan and Yunnan after an earthquake of 7.1 magnitude.

- February 4 1975: an earthquake measuring 7.3 in the northeastern province of Liaoning takes 1 300 lives.

- July 28 1976: The industrial city of Tangshan, situated 200km east of Beijing, is levelled by an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale (but 8.2 according to sources outside China). Beijing provides an official death toll standing at 242 000, with 164 000 seriously injured. However, according to Western sources, the toll is closer to 700 000 victims.

- August 23 1985: 67 die in an earthquake measuring 7.4 in the western region of Xinjiang.

- April 26 1990: 126 lose their lives after an earthquake measuring 6.9 in the northern province of Qinghai.

- October 24 1995: An earthquake measuring 6.5 kills 52 in Yunnan.

- February 3 1996: 228 perish and 3 700 are seriously injured in a quake measuring 7.0 near the city of Lijiang, in Yunnan.

- January 10 1998: 47 are killed and 9 000 injured in a quake measuring 6.2 that shakes Shangyi and Zhangbei in the province of Hebei.

- February 24 2003: A violent earthquake measuring 6.8 takes 268 lives in Xinjiang and causes significant damage.

- July 21 2003: An earthquake measuring 6.2 leaves 16 dead and 300 injured in 70 communities in the Chuxiong, an autonomous prefecture comprised of the Yi minority, in Yunnan province.

- July 23 2006: 22 people are killed and 106 injured as an earthquake measuring 5.1 hits Yunnan. More than 6 000 homes are destroyed and 38 000 buildings damaged across 13 municipalities.

- AFP

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