These Are The Deadliest Natural Disasters In Modern History

Haiyuan Earthquake, 1920

On December 16, 1920, an 8.5 magnitude earthquake hit the Haiyuan County area of the Ningxia Province in the Republic of China. It is known as the Gansu Earthquake because it took place when Ningxia was a part of the Gansu Province.

The earthquake caused rivers to change their course, resulting in landslides which completely buried the town of Sjiahe. The ‘quake along with the devastation that followed, killed more than 273,400 people and aftershocks continued for three years. The initial earthquake was so strong that it was felt as far away as Norway.