11 Biggest Earthquakes around the World

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4. 1920 Haiyuan earthquake

On December 16th, 1920, magnitude 7.9 earthquake shook the Chinese province of Gansu. It was labeled XII – the maximum intensity on Mercalli scale and it caused total destruction of several cities.  It was so powerful that it caused seiches on lakes in Norway. 273,400 people died in quake, but it is estimated that as much as that has perished in the aftermath due, to the harsh winter. People were so afraid of another tremor that they refused to build solid shelters. Instead, they froze to death.

Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock.com

Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock.com

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