Interestingly, the deadliest earthquake is not the strongest earthquake. At 3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976 , a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the city of Tangshan, in northeastern China. It obliterated the city and killed over 240,000 people.
The entire earthquake lasted approximately 14 to 16 seconds. Once the quake was over the entire city was levelled. The medical centers were destroyed as well as the roads to get there. Survivors were faced with no water, food, and electricity. That afternoon a 7.1 magnitude aftershock hit. After the earthquake hit, 242,419 people lay dead or dying, along with another 164,581 people who were severely injured. In 7,218 households, all members of the family were killed by the earthquake. Ninety-three percent of residential buildings and 78 percent of industrial buildings were completely destroyed. Eighty percent of the water pumping stations were seriously damaged and the water pipes were damaged throughout the city. Fourteen percent of the sewage pipes were severely damaged. After the disaster Tangshan received the nickname "Brave City of China."
http://history1900s.about.com/od/horribledisasters/a/tangshan.htm
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