TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific due to increased activity in the subduction zone. The quake is among the largest ever in recorded history.
Citing various sources, here are five of the most devastating earthquakes recorded in history:
1. Severo-Kurilsk, Russia (1952)
In 1952, Severo-Kurilsk, a city in the Kuril Islands, Russia, was hit by a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 9. The earthquake triggered a tsunami that reached 18 meters high, destroying the city and killing nearly half of its total population.
Despite many of the residents evacuating to higher ground after the first wave of tsunami, a second wave hit after some returned to their homes, causing many casualties.
After the disaster, Severo-Kurilsk was rebuilt in a higher location to reduce the risk of similar events going forward. To this day, this event is recorded as the strongest earthquake ever to occur in the Russian region.
2. Valdivia, Chile (1960)
The Valdivia earthquake, also known as the Great Chile earthquake, is recorded as the most powerful quake in recorded history, according to USA Today. With a magnitude of 9.5, the earthquake rocked the offshore area near Valdivia and Puerto Montt in Chile.
At least 1,655 people died and 3,000 others were injured in the southern regions of Chile. The tremor also caused casualties in various countries, including 61 in Hawaii, 138 in Japan, and 32 in the Philippines.
Severe damage to settlements resulted in about 2 million people becoming homeless due to the combination of the earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami's impact was felt as far as Hawaii, Japan, and the west coast of the United States.
3. Tohoku, Japan (2011)
The Tohoku earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011, is recorded as one of the most powerful, with a magnitude of 9.1. Citing Time, the earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Honshu Island, precisely in the Japan Trench, and triggered a massive tsunami 30 minutes later.
The event is widely known as the Fukushima earthquake because the tsunami devastated the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors and caused a major nuclear crisis. Within three days, all three reactors experienced core meltdowns, releasing radiation into the atmosphere and forcing over 100,000 residents to evacuate.
Recovery efforts took months, including injecting seawater into the reactors to lower the temperature. The reactors only achieved a stable state or cold shutdown in December, nine months after the earthquake. Although direct casualties from radiation were minimal, the earthquake and tsunami killed at least 18,000 people, many of whom were never found.
4. Indian Ocean (2004)
The 9.1 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, became one of the deadliest in history. Just a day after Christmas, the seabed 240 kilometers off the coast of Sumatra shook violently, releasing an energy equivalent to 23,000 Hiroshima bombs.
The resulting tsunami raced at a speed of 800 km/h, creating waves as high as 9 meters and devastating coastal areas in various countries, especially in Banda Aceh, the northwest tip of Sumatra. The tsunami waves also reached the coasts of East Africa. At least 230,000 people died in 13 countries, with around 200,000 victims from Aceh. The losses exceeded US$10 billion, prompting global humanitarian action.
5. Sumatra, Indonesia (2007)
On April 12, 2007, an 8.4 magnitude earthquake struck about 122 kilometers off the coast of Bengkulu, Sumatra. The earthquake was triggered by uplift activity on the Sunda Plate and Australian Plate convergence zone. At least 25 people died, and more than 160 others were injured. According to a report from USGS cited by Live Science, over 20,000 buildings were damaged in the Bengkulu and West Sumatra regions. This event became the fourth major earthquake with a magnitude above 7.9 to occur in the area within a decade.
Ida Rosdalina contributed to the writing of this article.
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