The earthquake that struck Morocco on late Friday evening has claimed over 2000 lives so far with the numbers expected to increase as the teams continue to carry out rescue operations despite struggling to reach some areas.
According to the Interior Ministry, 2,012 people were killed and 2,059 injured in the earthquake of magnitude 6.8 with an epicentre some 72 km southwest of Marrakech.
Here is a look at the deadliest earthquakes in the last 25 years around the world:
- September 8, 2023: In Morocco, a magnitude 6.8 temblor killed over 2,000 people, leaving thousands injured.
- February 6, 2023: In Turkey and Syria, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed over 21,600 people.
- April 25, 2015: In Nepal, over 8,800 people were killed by an earthquake of magnitude 7.8.
- March 11, 2011: A massive earthquake of magnitude 9.0 off the northeast coast of Japan triggered a tsunami, which killed over 18,400 people.
- Jan. 12, 2010: In Haiti, more than 1,00,000 people were killed by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. According to the government estimates, a massive 3,16,000 people were dead. The sheer scale of the destruction made it impossible to make an accurate count.
- May 12, 2008: A magnitude 7.9 quake struck eastern Sichuan in China, causing over 87,500 deaths.
- May 27, 2006: Over 5,700 people died after an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 hit Indonesia's Java island.
- October 8, 2005: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake claimed over 80,000 lives in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
- December 26, 2004: A magnitude 9.1 quake in Indonesia triggered an Indian Ocean tsunami, killing about 2,30,000 people in a dozen countries.
- December 26, 2003: A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits southeastern Iran, resulting in over 20,000 deaths.
- Jan. 26, 2001: A magnitude 7.6 quake strikes Gujarat in India, killing as many as 20,000 people.
- Aug. 17, 1999: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake hits Izmit, Turkey, killing about 18,000 people.
(With AP inputs)
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