10 of the Deadliest Natural Disasters in History

51

3The 1920 Haiyuan Earthquake

The 1920 Haiyuan earthquake, which struck Ningxia Province in China, is one of the deadliest earthquakes of the 20th century. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.8 to 8.5, caused widespread destruction across several provinces.

An estimated 273,000 people lost their lives, with many deaths attributed to landslides and collapsing buildings. The earthquake triggered massive landslides that buried entire villages, and aftershocks continued to shake the region for several years. The disaster highlighted the vulnerability of rural communities in seismically active regions.