- Natural disasters have taken the lives of millions of people throughout history.
- China is home to some of the deadliest natural disasters of all time.
- The 2004 tsunami in Indonesia killed 227,898 people.
Natural disasters claim the lives of thousands of people in the world every year.
It's hard to say which natural disaster is the most deadly. Hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes each have their own classifications, but there is no denying that they all cause major destruction, and take the lives of many.
Here's a look at some of the deadliest natural disasters that have taken the lives of thousands.
China's Huang He floods — Millions of deaths
China's second-longest river, the Huang He (Yellow), is the source of the three deadliest floods in history. Flooding in 1887, 1931, and 1938 killed millions of people and caused an incalculable amount of damage.
The 1931 flood was the most destructive. An area equivalent to the size of England was deluged by flood waters that carried debris, diseases, and destroyed crops.
Severe destruction and chaos prevented officials from determining an exact death toll, but it's estimated that 850,000 to 4,000,000 people were killed by the flooding and its lingering effects. Approximately 80 million people were left homeless.
1556 Shaanxi province earthquake — 830,000 deaths
The Shaanxi earthquake is believed to be the deadliest quake of all time, killing an estimated 830,000 people. The tremor decimated the Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces of northern China by 60%, leveling mountains, inducing flooding, and starting fires in mere seconds.
In the months following the quake, survivors began to look for ways to protect themselves from future earthquakes in the area by replacing stone buildings with earthquake-resistant materials like bamboo.
1976 Great Tangshan earthquake — 650,000 deaths
In 1976, the Great Tangshan Earthquake decimated the Chinese coal and industrial city of Tangshan located just 68 miles east of Beijing. Shortly after the initial shock, a 7.1 magnitude aftershock rocked the city and prevented rescue efforts to the original quake site.
The official death toll totaled 242,000 people, but some believe the disaster could have been responsible for upwards of 650,000 deaths.
See the rest of the story at INSIDER
0 Comments