Asia is a seismically dangerous area. In particular, an earthquake in China of 7-8 points is a common occurrence. Destructive elements take tens of thousands of lives in minutes. One of the worst is the 1976 earthquake in China.
Geography of the country
China is the largest country in Asia, occupies the whole east of this part of the world. It is in 3rd place in the world in terms of occupied space, second only to Russia and Canada. In terms of population, China exceeds all other countries on Earth.
Geographically, China occupies the Eurasian tectonic plate, which from the southwest side faces the Hindustan plate. The Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau formed at the site of the collision, the modification of which, under the influence of the geological activity of these areas, continues to this day.
The collision of 2 tectonic plates is the main reason for China's seismic activity. Strong earthquakes of 7-8 points are not uncommon here. They take the lives of tens of thousands of victims in minutes.
Destructive earthquakes in China
History testifies to the following tragedies in China:
- 1290 - shook in Chaykhli with a force of 6.7 points. About 100 thousand people became victims.
- 1556 - the strongest earthquake in China in Shaanxi with a magnitude of up to 8 points. Killed at least 800 thousand people. A huge number of people remained on the lists of the missing, which gives every reason to consider the victims of about a million Chinese.
- 1920 - tremors occurred in Gansu 7.8 points. Killed more than 240 thousand people.
- 1927 - in the province of Nan Xiang shook with a force of 7.6 points. More than 40 thousand inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom became victims.
- 1932 - more than 70 thousand inhabitants died from an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 in the city of Chanma.
China, Tangshan, 1976
In the summer of 1976, a terrible earthquake occurred in China, in the city of Tangshan, recognized as the most destructive in the 20th century. Its magnitude reached 8.2 points. It lasted only 15 seconds, but this natural disaster wiped the city from the face of the earth, destroying all the buildings almost to dust. On a summer night on July 28, 1976, about 250 thousand people died in China. However, most world experts agree that official sources greatly underestimated the number of victims. The actual death toll is not less than 650 thousand, can reach 800 thousand people. By its geological nature, the earthquake in China in 1976 is comparable to the terrible natural disaster of 1556.
In memory of those killed in the center of the rebuilt Tangshan, a stele was erected. Real tragic events formed the basis of many television films. The most famous is the film directed by Feng Xiaogang "Earthquake", which was released in 2010. The film demonstrates the tremendous and uncontrollable power of the natural elements, shows how a few tragic seconds can destroy the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
Tremors continue to bring misfortune to the largest Asian country:
- 1999 - shaking in Taiwan with a force of 7.6 points. More than 10 thousand people were affected, about 2.3 thousand dead.
- 2008 is another disaster in East Sichuan with a force of 7.9 points. Killed about 90 thousand people, more than 350 thousand were injured.
- 2010 - in Qinghai province shook with magnitude 7.1 points. Fortunately, this time the experts informed about the impending disaster on time - and the residents were evacuated, which helped to avoid a large number of victims.
- 2014 - an earthquake in Yunnan at 6.1 points. Killed more than 600 people, a total of victims - up to 3 thousand.
Given the high seismic activity of the region and the high population density, developments in the field of research and prediction of possible earthquakes for the timely evacuation of residents from hazardous areas are very relevant for China.