The Tangshan Earthquake

China, 1976. Death toll: 242, 000.

The Tangshan Earthquake was absolutely devastating mostly because it hit so close to Tangshan which was a large city with a population over 1 million. The magnitude of the earthquake as recorded at 7.8 and in terms of the loss of human lives the Tangshan Earthquake is one of the worst with 242, 000 lives taken. Chinese officials were scrutinized at the time for not preparing for the possibility of an earthquake.