HONG KONG, May 27: A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck the Indonesian island of Java on Saturday, killing more than 3,500 people.
The following are some of the deadliest earthquakes worldwide over the last 100 years with estimates of surface magnitude. The Richter scale of magnitude did not come into being until 1935:
Oct 8, 2005
Pakistan: A quake measuring 7.6 kills more than 75,000 people in the North West Frontier Province and Azad Kashmir. Some 3.5 million are displaced.
Dec 26, 2004
Banda Aceh, Indonesia: More than 220,000 people die after an undersea earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra sparks a tsunami wave that ponds countries around the Indian Ocean. Magnitude more than 9.0
Dec 26, 2003
Bam, Iran: 31,884 people die and 18,000 are injured. Magnitude 6.7
Jan 26, 2001
Gujarat, India: 25,000 people killed, 166,000 injured. Magnitude 6.7
June 20, 1990
Northwestern Iran: More than 40,000 killed and 100,000 injured. Magnitude 7.7
July 28, 1976
Tangshan city in Hebei province, China: 242,000 dead and 164,000 injured. Magnitude 7.8
May 31, 1970
Mount Huascaran, Peru: Earthquake and subsequent avalanche killed 66,800. Magnitude 7.5
Dec 26, 1939
Erzincan, Turkey: 35-40,000 killed. Magnitude 8.0
May 30, 1935
Quetta: More than 50,000 killed. Magnitude 7.6
May 23, 1927
Gansu province, China: Up to 80,000 thought to have died. Magnitude 8.0
May 22, 1927
Nanshan province, China: Up to 200,000 people may have been killed. Magnitude 8.0
Sept 1, 1923
Yokohama, Japan: More than 140,000 people died in earthquake and subsequent fire. Magnitude 8.2
Dec 16, 1920
Ningxia, China: About 235,000 reported killed. Magnitude 8.5
Dec 28, 1908
Messina, Italy: Earthquake and tidal wave killed 83,000.—AFP
