Here is a list of the most deadliest earthquakes in recorded history:
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Shaanxi, China (1556):
Considered the most deadliest, the 1556 earthquake is estimated to have killed more than 830,000 people. Damage extended more than 400 km from the epicenter. Most people within the radius of the earthquake lived in an earth shelter known as Yaodong. The collapse of Yaodongs was the reason behind high casualty rates.
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Tangshan, Hebei province, China ( July 27, 1976)
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the north-eastern city of Tangshan in 1976 causing an estimated 655,000 deaths.
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Aleppo, Syria (1138)
Among the largest earthquakes, the 1138 earthquake in Aleppo, Syria, is estimated to have killed more than 230,000 people.
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Sumatra, Indonesia ( December 26, 2004)
The undersea 9.1- 9.3 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia on the morning of December 26, 2004 created massive Tsunamis that impacted South East Asian and South Asian countries killing approximately 227,898 people and displacing 1.7 million. The entire planet vibrated by 1 cm because of the earthquake.
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Haiti, January 12, 2010
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010 in Haiti killed an estimated 222,570 people and displaced 1.3 million.
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Damghan, Iran, 856 CE
More than 200,000 died when an earthquake struck the city of Damghan, Iran in 856.
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Haiyuan, China (December 16, 1920):
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed approximately 200,000 people.
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Ardabil, Iran (893)
The earthquake killed 150,000 people.
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Kanto, Japan (September 1, 1923)
The 7.9 magnitude, 142,800 deaths in the Kanto region of Japan in 1923.
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Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (October 5, 1948)
The 7.3 magnitude earthquake killed about 110,000 people.
