Geologic Disasters

Date Place Deaths Source Rank
8 May 1902 Martinique (Volcanic Eruption). 40 000 A.C. 11
16 Aug. 1906 Valpariaso, Chile 20 000 B. 18
28 Dec. 1908 Messina, Italy

83 000

85 000

70 000-100 000

85 926

B.

C.

A.

D.

5
13 Jan. 1915 Avezzano, Italy

29 980

30 000

32 610

A.B.

C.

D.

12
16 Dec. 1920 Gansu, China

70 000

180 000

235 000

B.

C.

D.

3
1 Sept. 1923 Tokyo, Japan

99 300

140 000+

142 800

143 000

B.

A.

D.

C.

4
22 May 1927 Nan-Shan, China 200 000 A.B. 2
26 Dec. 1932 Gansu, China 70 000 A.B.C. 6
15 Jan. 1934 Bihar, India 10 700 B. 24
31 May 1935 Quetta, India [Pak.]

30 000

35 000

30 000-60 000

50 000

B.

D.

A.

C.

8
24 Jan. 1939 Chillan, Chile

28 000

30 000

B.D.

A.C.

13
26-27 Dec. 1939 Erzincan, Turkey

30 000

32 740

45 000

100 000

B.

D.

C.

A.

9
15 Aug. 1950 Assam, India.

1 530

20 000-30 000

B.

A.

19
29 Feb. 1960 Agadir, Morocco

10 000-12 000

12 000

20 000

A.

B.D.

C.

22
1 Sept. 1962 NW Iran.

12 230

12 403

B.

C.

21
31 Aug. 1968 NE Iran 12 000 B.C. 23
31 May 1970 NW Peru

50 000+

66 794

67 000

70 000

A.

B.

D.

C.

7
23 Dec. 1972 Managua, Nicaragua

5 000

<6 000

10 000

B.

A.

C.

4 Feb. 1976 Guatemala

22 084

22 778

23 000

D.

B.

A.C.

17
28 July 1976 Tangshan, China

250 000

290 000

242 000 [official] - 655 000

800 000

C.

D.

A.

B.

1
16 Sept. 1978 Tabas, NE Iran 25 000 A.B.C. 14
19-20 Sept. 1985 Mexico

7 000+

10 000

25 000

C.

D.

A.

25
14-16 Nov. 1985 Colombia (Volcanic Eruption)

24 740

25 000

D.

A.C.

15
7 Dec. 1988 Armenia

<25 000

25 000

A.

C.D.

16
21 June 1990 NW Iran

35 000

50 000+

C.

A.

10
17 Aug. 1999 NW Turkey

15 000

17 000

17 000+

C.

A.

D.

20

Sources

  1. http://www.infoplease.com
  2. 1984 World Almanac
  3. Encyclopedia Americana, 2003 ed.
  4. Munich Re, Press Release, Dec. 1999

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Last updated January 2004

Copyright © 1997-2004 Matthew White