8.8 quake hits Russia: A look at world's strongest recorded earthquakes

A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering tsunami alerts across the Pacific. Here's a look at some of the strongest quakes ever recorded globally

An earthquake of magnitude 8.8 on the Richter scale—one of the world’s strongest ever—struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early on Wednesday. The epicentre of the earthquake was located at a depth of 20.7 km, about 119 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Associated Press reported.  The powerful tremor triggered a tsunami warning across several countries, including the US, Japan, Chile, and New Zealand. The earthquake was initially recorded at magnitude 8.0 by Japan and US agencies, later revised to 8.8 by the US Geological Survey.   

 

Below is a list of strongest earthquakes ever recorded across the globe:

 

1. Valdivia, Chile (May 22, 1960; magnitude 9.5)

 

The Great Chilean earthquake remains the strongest ever recorded. Striking southern Chile, the 9.5-magnitude quake caused massive destruction, landslides, and subsidence. It resulted in an enormous tsunami, impacting countries as far as Japan, the Philippines, and the US west coast. Around 1,655 people died, and millions were displaced. Volcanic eruptions followed, resulting from the seismic shock.

 

 

2. Prince William Sound, Alaska, US (March 27, 1964; magnitude 9.2)

 

Known as the Great Alaska Earthquake, this event lasted nearly 4.5 minutes and caused wide-scale landslides, collapsed buildings, and fires. The quake led to a destructive tsunami that affected coastal Alaska and remote regions, claiming over 130 lives. Alaska’s sparse population at the time prevented a greater number of fatalities, but the event led to major geological studies and updates in building practices in seismic zones.

 

3. Sumatra, Indonesia (December 26, 2004; magnitude 9.1-9.3)

 

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake generated one of history’s deadliest tsunamis, devastating Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and East Africa. Over 280,000 people were killed. The quake originated off the west coast of northern Sumatra and ruptured hundreds of kilometres of the seabed, causing widespread destruction.

 

4. Tohoku, Japan (March 11, 2011; magnitude 9.0-9.1)

 

The Tohoku earthquake is the strongest ever recorded in Japan. It triggered a massive tsunami that engulfed coastal communities and led to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Widespread destruction, over 15,000 deaths, and displacement of hundreds of thousands followed.

 

5. Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia (November 4, 1952; magnitude 9)

 

The Kamchatka earthquake shook Russia’s far eastern peninsula and generated Pacific-wide tsunamis, causing damage as far as Hawaii, Peru, and New Zealand. While casualties were limited due to the region's remote nature, it led to $1 million in damages.

 

6. Maule, Chile (February 27, 2010; magnitude 8.8)

 

Central Chile was rocked by a 8.8-magnitude quake, causing 523 deaths, severe infrastructure damage, and a tsunami affecting the Pacific coast. The event severely disrupted transportation and communications, and led to economic losses estimated at tens of billions of dollars.

 

7. Ecuador-Colombia (January 31, 1906; magnitude 8.8)

 

Striking near the Colombia-Ecuador border, this massive earthquake triggered tsunamis that impacted the Pacific coasts of Central and South America, killing 1,500 people.

 

8. Assam-Tibet (August 15, 1950; magnitude 8.6)

 

The Assam–Tibet earthquake is the largest recorded quake not caused by oceanic subduction, which killed 780 people. It devastated northeastern India and Tibet, causing thousands of deaths, landslides, and major changes to river flows.