Lookback at 10 major earthquakes that rocked the world

The massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria wreaked havoc in these two countries causing widespread loss of lives and property. This gives us a scope to turn the pages of history and have a sneak peek into the major earthquakes that caused extensive loses in the world in the last few decades.

Hyderabad: Over 600 were reportedly killed so far and hundreds injured in Turkey and adjoining Syria in a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake early Monday. The quakes toppled several buildings causing extensive havoc in the two countries. The death toll is presumed to cross a thousand as rescue operations continue. This offers us a scope to look back at the ten major earthquakes that shook the world in the last several decades.

1. Valdivia, Chile (1960): The 9.5 magnitude killed 1655 people, injured 3000 and displaced two million. Deaths and damage was reported in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines. The 'rupture zone' of the quake was more than 1000 km long.
2. Prince William Sound, Alaska (1964): The 9.2 magnitude earthquake resulted in a tsunami that took 128 lives. The earthquake was felt mainly over Alaska, as well as some places in Canada, while the tsunami created by it caused damage as far away as Hawaii.
3. Sumatra, Indonesia (2004): 227,900 people were killed or presumed dead, with around 1.7 million displaced over 14 countries in South Asia and East Africa as a result of this 9.1 magnitude earthquake whose epicentre was 250 km south-east of Band Aceh, Indonesia, at a depth of 30 km.
4. Sendai, Japan (2011): According to some estimates the final death toll may be over 10,000. This 9.0 magnitide earthquake led to shutting down of nuclear reactors which many industries rely on for power.
5. Kamchatka, Russia (1952): Though no people were killed as a result of this 9.0 magnitude earthquake, it led to a tsunami that caused widespread damage in the Hawaiian Islands.
6. Bio-bio, Chile (2010): 521 people were killed in this 8.8 magnitude earthquake that left lakhs displaced. The epicentre was 335 km south-west of Santiago, at a depth of 35 km.
7. Ecuador (1906): The 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Ecuador killed between 500 and 1,500 in Ecuador and Colombia. The tsunami travelled as far north as San Francisco, on the west coast of the US, and west to Hawaii and Japan.
8. Rat Islands, Alaska (1965): Though no death or injuries were reported as a result of this 8.7 magnitude earthquake, the resultant tsunami caused flooding on Amchitka Island, causing extensive property damage.
9. Sumatra, Indonesia (2005): The 8.6 magnitude earthquake killed 1313, with over 400 people injured by the tsunami. The epicentre was 205 km north-west of Sibolga, Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km.
10. Assam - Tibet (1950): 780 people were killed in eastern Tibet as a result of this 8.6 magnitude inland earthquake that caused widespread damages to buildings as well as large landslides. Several villages and towns were affected across Assam, China, Tibet and India. While the earthquake is known as the Assam Earthquake, its epicentre may have been in Tibet.