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When an earthquake occurs, two elements determine the mortality toll: location and population density.
Sadly, the natural disaster has been a bane to the human world for centuries now, the latest, being the one that struck Turkey and Syria two days ago.
More than 8,000 people have been reported dead and tens of thousands of others injured by the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday.
In this article, we will look at the ten deadliest earthquakes in human history.
Ashgabat, the current capital of Turkmenistan, is located close to the Iranian border.
A small town located 25 kilometres southwest of Ashgabat was affected by the earthquake around 1:12 in the morning on October 6, 1948.
Most of the brick buildings in the vicinity were destroyed by the 7.3 magnitude surface wave, while concrete buildings were severely damaged.
Due to Soviet Union censorship, media sources disagree on the death toll.
It is estimated that between 10,000 and 110,000 people died.
On September 1, 1923, the worst earthquake in Japanese history struck, with the initial shock wave impacting at 11:58 a.m.
Given that the plate that ruptured was beneath the floor of Sagami Bay, 30 miles south of Tokyo, the initial wave was followed by a tsunami that was 40 feet high.
Between four and ten minutes passed after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake.
It largely destroyed Tokyo as well as several other significant cities in the area.
The 38,000 people who had taken refuge at the Rikugun Honjo Hifukusho in central Tokyo were incinerated by a fire swirl.
High gusts brought on by a severe hurricane off the coast only intensified the rate at which the fires spread.
The estimated number of people killed was 142,800.
It occurred on March 23, 893, but nothing is known about the specifics of what happened at the time.
Although the size is uncertain, it is believed to have left a death toll of over 150,000 people.
The maximum damage from this 7.9 magnitude earthquake, which occurred on December 22, 856, covered around 350 kilometres (220 miles).
The epicentre was not far from Damghan, which was then a Persian province called Qumis.
It appears that Qumis was just abandoned after the earthquake since the devastation was so severe.
The nocturnal surface wave is likely to have been brought on by a shift in the Alpide earthquake zone, which is located in one of the seismically active regions of the planet.
This earthquake is the seventh deadliest, with almost 200,000 fatalities.
The 8.5 magnitude earthquake that devastated China's remote Gansu Province on December 16, 1920, resulted in massive landslides that increased the death toll.
It struck at 7:06 p.m., and aftershocks lingered for more than three years.
Initially, it was estimated that about 200,000 people died in this area, but a 2010 Chinese study increased that estimate to over 273,000 individuals.
Seventy per cent of buildings in rural towns collapsed, 675 significant landslides happened, and all the homes and villages within a 125-mile radius were devastated.
According to estimates, landslides caused by the surface waves were responsible for 100,000 of the fatalities.
At 4:53 in the afternoon on January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake occurred in Haiti.
The distance between the epicentre and Port-au-Prince, Haiti's main city, was about 25 kilometres (15 miles).
The Dominican Republic and Haiti were both severely damaged by this seismic monster.
Two aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.9 and 5.5 were recorded after the original 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
Days later, there were other aftershocks, including one more 5.9 on January 20.
At a depth of just 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) below the surface, a contractional deformation along the Léogâne fault was what triggered the earthquake.
The Earth's surface began to shake more because of this shallow depth. Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, as well as Haiti and the Dominican Republic, all experienced tremors.
Buildings in Haiti broke down under the force of the earthquake due to a lack of building rules, which greatly exacerbated the damage it inflicted.
Over a million residents were reportedly left homeless and without essentials in the aftermath.
Over 300,000 individuals are said to have perished in the catastrophe, despite the lack of an official figure.
Aleppo, in northern Syria, was nearly completely devastated on October 11, 1138.
The area's population were accustomed to earthquakes due to its location on a hotspot of fault lines, which included the line separating the Arabian and African plates.
Scientists calculated that the magnitude had to be more than 7.0 even though the exact value is unknown based on the amount of damage it did.
A minor earthquake hit Aleppo the day before.
As soon as this warning was given, the majority of Aleppo's residents fled to the safety of the countryside.
Even if some who fled died in the greater earthquake that followed, if they had stayed in the city, the death toll would have been far higher.
The citadel in Allepo suffered considerable damage, and most homes collapsed.
With a death toll of 230,000, it is still considered one of the most catastrophic earthquakes in human history.
The Sumatran earthquake, also known as the Christmas or Boxing Day tsunami, took place on December 20, 2004.
The 9.1 magnitude quake ruptured a 900-mile fault line under the Indian Ocean where the Indian and Australian plates meet.
This 40-meter shift in the ocean floor generated an enormous tsunami.
The first of several 100-foot waves struck the shoreline of Banda Aceh within 20 minutes of the earthquake.
It immediately killed more than 100,000 people and destroyed the city.
The waves continued to pound the beaches of Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka.
Tens of thousands more died as a result of the water and debris's crushing force.
The tsunami slammed the coast of South Africa eight hours after the original quake, 5,000 miles from its epicentre, taking lives as well. The death toll reached a startling 230,000.
On July 28, 1976, at 3:42 a.m., an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.8 to 8.2 struck Tangshan, China.
Tangshan had a population of about one million people at the time, the majority of whom were sleeping in their homes.
This area is particularly prone to seismic activity due to its proximity to the Pacific plate.
Residents began to notice weird happenings in the city in the days leading up to the earthquake.
Rising and dropping water levels, scared rats scurrying through the streets, hens refusing to eat, and even stories of flashing coloured lights and fireballs were reported.
Although the original quake lasted only 23 seconds, it was powerful enough to damage 90% of Tangshan's structures.
Fires broke out after the shaking ceased. In the city's factories, their heat swiftly ignited explosives and hazardous chemicals.
Water and power were cut off across the city, the train into the city was wrecked, and all road access was lost.
The government used helicopters and planes to provide food and medicine to the city's survivors.
The Chinese government reported a death toll of 242,000, although some sources claim that the figure was closer to 500,000.
On January 23, 1556, a large earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 8.0 struck the Chinese regions of Shaanxi and Shanxi.
The quake is thought to have killed more than 60% of the people in these two districts.
While the shaking lasted only seconds, the force supplied to this region levelled mountains, lit infernos that burned for days, caused catastrophic flooding and even altered river routes.
Earth fissures up to 66 feet deep emerged, landslides became unstoppable forces, and every structure was destroyed.
Aftershocks lasted six months in the area.
It was discovered that the region's mortality was so high, owing primarily to the soft soil on which locals had built their homes.
These houses remained cool in the summer and comfortable in the winter, but they crumbled quickly when subjected to seismic activity.
When the ground trembled, the entire hillside collapsed, burying its people.
A stunning 830,000 people were killed, and millions more were injured or made homeless.
It is stated that the cost of the damages sustained in current terms is impossible to calculate.
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