Deadliest Incidents In History

Indian Ocean Tsunami — Indonesia

A magnitude 9.1 megathrust earthquake off Sumatra sent tsunami waves across the Indian Ocean, killing people in 14 countries.

Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami — Japan

A magnitude 9.1 earthquake sent a tsunami over Japan's northeast coast and triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake — India

On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7), a Mw 9.2–9.3 earthquake struck with its epicenter off the west coast of Aceh, in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the scientific community as the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami — Japan

On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 JST (05:46:24 UTC), a Mw 9.0–9.1 undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 72 km (45 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region of Japan. It lasted approximately six minutes and c

1999 İzmit earthquake — Turkey

An earthquake of moment magnitude 7.6 struck Kocaeli Province, Turkey on 17 August 1999. According to official figures, at least 18,373 people died and 48,901 people were injured during the earthquake, and 5,840 people were missing. At leas

1792 eruption of Mount Unzen — Japan

The 1792 Unzen landslide and tsunami was a volcanic megadisaster, occurring on 21 May 1792, during the Edo period. Triggered by the volcanic activity of Mount Unzen (on the Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan), it caused

2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami — Indonesia

On 28 September 2018, a shallow, large earthquake struck in the neck of the Minahasa Peninsula, Indonesia, with its epicentre located in the mountainous Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi. The magnitude 7.5–7.6 quake was located 70 km (43 m

1766 Istanbul earthquake — Turkey

The 1766 Istanbul earthquake was a strong earthquake with epicenter in the eastern part of the Sea of Marmara, in the Çınarcık Basin (or near the Princes' Islands, north of the basin) which occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning, 2

1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake — Papua New Guinea

The 1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake occurred on July 17 with a moment magnitude of 7.0 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The event occurred on a reverse fault near the north coast region of Papua New Guinea, 25 km (16 mi)

1674 Ambon earthquake and megatsunami — Indonesia

The 1674 Ambon earthquake occurred on February 17 between 19:30 and 20:00 local time in the Maluku Islands. The resulting tsunami reached heights of up to 100 metres (330 ft) on Ambon Island killing over 2,000 individuals. It was the first

1640 Komagatake tsunami — Japan

2010 Chile earthquake — Chile

On 27 February 2010 at 03:34 UTC−03:00, a Mww 8.8 megathrust earthquake struck off the coast of the Maule Region of central Chile. One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, it lasted approximately three minutes and was felt across

1624 Argenta earthquake — Italy

1657 Concepción earthquake — Chile

The 1657 Concepción earthquake occurred on March 15 at 20:00 local time off the coast of Concepción, Biobío Region in the Spanish Empire (present-day central Chile). The earthquake caused severe damage along the coast, and generated a large

2014 Iquique earthquake — Bolivia

The 2014 Iquique earthquake struck off the coast of Chile on 1 April, with a moment magnitude of 8.1–8.2, at 20:46 local time (23:46 UTC). The epicenter of the earthquake was approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) northwest of Iquique. The mai

aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami — Japan

The aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami included both a humanitarian crisis and massive economic impacts. The tsunami created over 300,000 refugees in the Tōhoku region of Japan, and resulted in shortages of food, water, she

869 Jōgan earthquake — Japan

The 869 Jōgan earthquake (貞観地震, Jōgan jishin) and its associated tsunami struck the area around Sendai in the northern part of Honshu on 9 July 869 (the 26th day of the 5th month in the 11th year of Jōgan; or 13 July 869). The earthquake ha

1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami — United States

The 1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami occurred on November 18, at 14.45 in the Anegada Passage about 20 km southwest of Saint Thomas, Danish West Indies (now U.S. Virgin Islands). The Ms 7.5 earthquake came just 20 days after the d

1741 Kanpō tsunami

The devastating eruption of Oshima–Ōshima began on 18 August 1741 and ended on 1 May the next year. Eleven days into the eruption, the Kampo tsunami (Japanese: 寛保津波, Hepburn: Kampo tsunami) with estimated maximum heights of 60–90 m (200–300

Marash earthquake of 1114 — Turkey

An earthquake occurred in the area of Marash during the early morning hours of November 29, 1114. It had an estimated surface-wave magnitude between 7.4 and 7.7 and an epicenter location in modern-day Turkey. The mainshock was preceded by t

2025 Caribbean Sea earthquake — Honduras

This is a list of earthquakes in 2025. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in significant damage and/or casualties. All dates are listed according to UTC time. The maximum intensities are based on the M

Tauredunum event — Switzerland

The Tauredunum event (German: Tauredunum-Ereignis) of 563 AD was a tsunami on Lake Geneva (then under the Frankish territory of the Kingdom of Orleans), triggered by a massive landslide which caused widespread devastation and loss of life a

1994 East Java earthquake — Indonesia

An earthquake occurred on June 3, 1994, at 01:17:37 local time (June 2, at 18:17:37 GMT) off the coast of Indonesia. The epicenter was off the eastern part of the southern Java coast, near the east end of the Java Trench.

Tsunami of 1343, Naples — Italy

The 1343 tsunami struck the Tyrrhenian Sea and Bay of Naples on 25 November 1343. Underground shocks were felt in Naples and caused significant damage and loss of lives. Of major note was a tsunami created by the earthquake which destroyed

1677 Bōsō earthquake — Japan

The Bōsō Peninsula in Japan was struck by a major tsunami on 4 November 1677, caused by an earthquake at the southern end of the Japan Trench. It was felt onshore with only a maximum of 4 on the JMA intensity scale, but had an estimated mag

684 Hakuhō earthquake and tsunami — Japan

The 684 Hakuho earthquake took place in Japan in 684, and is described in the history book Nihon Shoki from the 8th century. The earthquake took place on 26 November 684 (Julian calendar), in the 13th year of the reign of Emperor Tenmu (Ten

1979 Nice events — France

The Nice tsunami of 1979 came on October 16. Two tsunamis struck the coast near Nice, accompanied by a landslide at the Nice Airport, and an aseismic submarine landslide. The two waves struck the coast between the Italian border and the tow