Chile Quake: Biggest In The Century?
February 28th, 2010 - 11:01 pm ICT by GDBy Madhuri Dey
Feb 28, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The earthquake that hit Chile is being considered to be the biggest to have struck since the twentieth century, and one of the biggest ever. The quake struck the country in the wee hours of Saturday morning, possibly sometime between 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. However, it is not the biggest to have hit the country in all times, although at the fifth position, it does rank pretty high up in terms of magnitude. The largest earthquake to have hit the country was in 1960, measuring a devastating 9.5 in the Richter scale.
Moreover, Saturday’s earthquake had not been the most intense even in terms of damage that had occurred. As it had originated pretty deep down, the intensity had been diminished by far, thus ensuring that a lower number of lives were lost, as compared to the magnitude. However, that is not to say that the loss of lives has been anywhere near negligible. According to the estimates of the government in Chile, the earthquake has possibly affected about two million people, and is likely to have destroyed about half a million buildings. At present, the official death toll stands at 300, and still counting.
In some other reports, however, it is being considered that the earthquake that hit Chile on Saturday might have been the biggest one to have struck not in the past century, but in the last 50 years or so. Although this one too has triggered possibilities of tsunamis, with a minor tsunami actually hitting the coast of Japan, the crown for being the biggest earthquake goes to the one that hit Chile itself in 1960, one that triggered a major tsunami in Japan.
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- Strong earthquake hits western Japan, unrelated to major 8.9 jolt - Mar 12, 2011
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- Chile earthquake toll rises to 300, two million overall affected - Feb 28, 2010
- Japan quake toll rises to 13,000 - Apr 11, 2011
- Chile hit by 7.2 magnitude earthquake - Jan 03, 2011
- Japan tsunami alert sparks evacuations across Pacific - Mar 12, 2011
- China offers aid to quake- hit Japan - Mar 12, 2011
- At least 91 dead, scores missing after quake, tsunamis devastate Japan - Mar 11, 2011
- Buddhist monks pray for Japan tsunami victims - Mar 12, 2011
- Strong earthquake jolts eastern Japan, no damage - Aug 01, 2011
Tags: biggest earthquake, death toll, dey, fifth position, half a million, intensity, largest earthquake, madhuri, magnitude, official death, possibilities, quake, richter scale, saturday morning, tsunami, tsunami in japan, tsunamis, twentieth century, two million, wee hours