The recent 7.8 earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria which has caused havoc has led to a preview of similar past events which brought so much despair.
Below is the list of top 10 earthquakes in an ascending order.
Valdivia Earthquake (9.5)
On May 22, 1960, the coast of Chile, parallel to the city of Valdivia was hit. About 1,000 to 6,000 people died with about 3,000 people injured.
The main tsunami severely battered the Chilean coast, and raced across the Pacific Ocean and devastated Hilo, Hawaii.
Waves as high as 10.7 meters (35 feet) were recorded even 10,000 kilometers (6,200 mi) from the epicenter, and as far away as Japan and the Philippines.
Great Alaska Earthquake (9.2)
On Good Friday, March 27, 1964, at 5:36 PM (local time, 3:36 UTC), the Prince William Sound region of Alaska experienced the Great Alaska earthquake.
It lasted for about 4.5 minutes and was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the United States.
The Chenega village was demolished by a tsunami that reached a height of 27 feet (8.2 meters), killing 23 of the 68 inhabitants.
Survivors climbed to high ground and outran the tsunami. It also brought up a significant underwater landslide. 30 people died when the docks and harbor in Port Valdez city collapsed.
A total of 139 people are believed to have died: 15 as a result of the earthquake itself, 106 from the subsequent tsunami in Alaska, 5 from the tsunami in Oregon, and 13 from the tsunami in California.
Sumatra Earthquake (9.1)
The 2004 Sumatra Earthquake, also known as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, struck on December 26 and was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent memory.
The faulting during the earthquake lasted for between 8.3 and 10 minutes, which was a record for faulting duration. This energy is less than that of the Tsar Bomba, the greatest nuclear weapon ever detonated, but more than 1,500 times that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
More over 200,000 people died, the majority on Sumatra, but also in smaller numbers in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Somalia, Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka.
Tōhoku Earthquake (9.1)
A significant underwater megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan happened on March 11, 2011, on Friday at 14:46 local time (05:46 UTC).
An enormous tsunami with waves as high as 40.5 meters (133 feet) was caused by the earthquake. It was one of the deadliest in recorded history; the waves inflicted major structural damage in northeastern Japan, traveling as far inland as 6 miles (10 km).
Airports, highways, and railroads were destroyed, and 127,290 buildings completely, 272,788 partially, and 747,989 partially damaged. A dam gave way.
In particular, the level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex were brought on by the tsunami.
On 10 March 2015, it was announced that the confirmed casualties were 15,894 deaths, 6,152 injured, and 2,562 people missing.
Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake (9.0)
In the extreme east of Russia, off the shore of the Kamchatka Peninsula, a massive earthquake struck on November 4, 1952, at 16:58 GMT (04:58 local time).
It generated a massive, deadly tsunami that swept across the whole Pacific Ocean, with waves as high as 15 meters (50 feet), which severely damaged the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands and resulted in the deaths of between 10,000 and 15,000 people.
Maule(Chile) Earthquake (8.8)
The 2010 Chile earthquake, often referred to as the 2010 Maule Earthquake, struck the Maule Region of Chile on February 27, 2010, at 03:34 local time (06:34 UTC), roughly 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) off the coast of the Pelluhue commune.
Three minutes or so passed during the prolonged shaking. Numerous cities, including the capital Santiago, saw building collapses that resulted in many fatalities.
In January 2011, the authorities released the ultimate death toll of 525 deaths and 25 people still missing.
Ecuador-Colombia Earthquake (8.8)
On January 31, 1906, at 15:36 UTC, a large earthquake off the coast of Ecuador, close to Esmeraldas, occurred (a coastal city in northwestern Ecuador).
It is reported that the destructive tsunami caused at least 500 casualties on the coast of Colombia.
Rat Islands Earthquake (8.7)
The 1965 Rat Islands Earthquake struck on February 4, 1965, at 05:01 UTC (19:01, February 3, in local time).
Due to its remote location, it only created a tsunami on Shemya Island in Alaska that was above 10 meters (33 feet) in height. There were no deaths, according to reports.
Assam-Tibet Earthquake (8.6)
The Xizang-India border region experienced an earthquake on August 15, 1950, with the epicenter being close to Rima, Tibet. As a result of the earthquake, numerous structures were demolished, and between 1.500 and 3.000 people perished.
Large landslides obstructed the Subansiri River after the earthquake. 8 days later, this natural barrier collapsed, unleashing a 7 m (23 ft) high wave that flooded several communities and claimed the lives of 536 people.
Sumatra Earthquake (8.6)
A magnitude 8.6 underwater earthquake struck the Indian Ocean on April 11, 2012, at 15:38 local time, close to the Indonesian city of Aceh. Authorities responded to a tsunami alert but later discontinued it.
The strongest documented strike-slip earthquake occurred during these extraordinarily powerful intraplate earthquakes.
There were reports of tsunamis ranging in size from 10 cm to 0.8 meters (3.9 inches to 31.4 inches), however none of them were devastating because it happened so far away from populated areas. Ten fatalities and twelve injuries were recorded, the most of which were due to anxiety and/or heart attacks.
Source: The Independent Ghana