1976 China Earthquake
Tangshan, Hebei Province, China — July 27, 1976
The 1976 Tangshan earthquake is one of the deadliest in the 20th century, virtually obliterating a city of one million people at 3:42 AM while residents slept. The actual death toll remains disputed, with estimates ranging from 242,000 to 655,000. China initially refused international assistance, compounding the disaster.
Earthquake Facts
Magnitude
M7.8
Date
Jul 27, 1976
Depth
22 km
Deaths
242,769
Latitude
39.605°
Longitude
118.002°
Tsunami
No
Region
China
Tectonic Cause
Intraplate earthquake on the buried strike-slip fault system of the North China Plain, an area with a long history of large earthquakes but no obvious surface fault traces before 1976.
Aftermath in Pictures
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — open licenses (CC / Public Domain)
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under open licenses. Attribution required where specified. Click any image to enlarge.
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Sources & Further Reading
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