10 largest earthquakes in world recorded in South America, Asia-Pacific region

By Saadet Firdevs Apari

ANKARA (AA) - The 10 most severe earthquakes in world history occurred in South America and Asia-Pacific countries, according to the US Geological Survey.

The Pacific seismic belt, called the "ring of fire," witnesses 90% of all earthquakes in the world and about 80% of major earthquakes.

Earthquakes, divided into three categories as tectonic, volcanic, and collapsed, occur due to a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves.

Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives or were left homeless in the devastating earthquakes in the world in the last century.

The largest earthquake in world history occurred in Chile on May 22, 1960. As a result of the magnitude 9.5 earthquake, some 1,655 people lost their lives, 3,000 people were injured, and 2 million became homeless.

The tsunami, which occurred after the earthquake, caused $550 million of damage in the country. It also spread over an area of 10,000 kilometers (6,213 miles) and reached Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines. The giant waves killed 61 people in Hawaii, 138 in Japan, and 32 in the Philippines.

The Alaska earthquake, recorded as the second biggest earthquake, occurred on March 28, 1964. The magnitude 9.2 earthquake, which lasted three minutes, triggered a tsunami.

The tremor and the huge waves killed 128 people and caused around $310 million of damage.

The small number of casualties in an earthquake of this magnitude was considered a “miracle.”

The longest earthquake occurred in Sumatra on Dec. 26, 2004. The magnitude 9.1 earthquake lasted about 10 minutes and affected 14 countries in northern Asia and eastern Africa, as well as Indonesia.

About 230,000 people lost their lives in the earthquake, which is considered one of the most deadly natural disasters. Due to the earthquake and tsunami, over 1.7 million people were left homeless.

The earthquake that occurred in the Tohoku region of Japan on March 11, 2011 was recorded as the most severe earthquake in the country to date.

The magnitude 9 earthquake created a 1-km (0.6-mi) fracture on the ocean floor, resulting in a tsunami on the northeastern coast of the country.

While over 19,000 people died due to the earthquake, a leak occurred at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

A magnitude 9 earthquake that occurred on Nov. 4, 1952 in Kamchatka, northeastern Russia, caused high waves to form off the Hawaiian coast. Although there was no loss of life, $1 million of damage occurred.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar