11 Biggest Earthquakes around the World

2. 1976 Tangshan earthquake

The biggest earthquake by death toll in 20^th century happened in Tangshan on July 26^th 1976. One of the largest cities in Chinese Hebei province, Tangshan had over one million inhabitants at the time. About one quarter of them died in the quake. The total number of casualties is estimated on 650,000 dead. The Chinese government, more preoccupied with precarious political situation (Mao Zedong was seriously ill and died less than two months after the earthquake) refused all offers of international aid, which only compounded the problem for survivors.

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