NEWS & VIEWS
Earthquakes
18 February 2023
While wars inflict serious harm to civilians, combatants, and civilian objects as well as infrastructure often producing international crimes in the form of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, natural disasters, and earthquakes in particular receive passing humanitarian attention despite their graver consequences.
One explanation for the disparity in producing the recording of events resulting in massive loss of life and destruction is the human actor dimension at the heart of the armed conflict activity, compared to the sudden and 'geological' explanation behind earthquakes. No specific individual can be identified as responsible for an earthquake, as opposed to political leaders, military generals and commanders, and soldiers in the field who may incur international responsibility for their abhorrent illegal conduct.
Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to chronicle earthquakes and their devastating human toll to remind ourselves of the sanctity of life. It is an act of objection to relegating life's character to the cynicism performed by powerful countries and much of their political establishments, that can be found in the conservative-centrist media of Britain and the United States.
Scientific explanations for earthquakes are plenty. Preserving their occurrence is no less intriguing. Here are significant earthquakes since 1970 and their crushing human toll, starting from the recent one in Turkey and Syria:
Date Location Deaths
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1 September 2025 Afghanistan More than 800
7 October 2023 Afghanistan More than 2000
8 September 2023 Morocco More than 2000
6 February 2023 Turkey & Syria More than 48,000
22 June 2022 Eastern Afghanistan At least 1,000
15 January 2021 Indonesia At least 105
26 November 2019 Albania At least 41
5 August 2018 Lombok Island, Indonesia More than 460
12 November 2017 Iran-Iraq Border 440
19 September 2017 Mexico City 369
24 August 2016 Central Italy 298
16 April 2016 Ecuador Coast 650
26 October 2015 Eastern Afghanistan 400
25 April 2015 Nepal More than 8,000
3 August 2014 Yunnan Province, China 600
15 October 2013 Philippines 200
25 September 2013 Balochistan, Pakistan 300
11 August 2012 North-West Iran 250
23 October 2011 South-East Turkey More than 200
11 March 2011 Japan More than 20,000
22 February 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand More than 160
14 April 2010 Quinghai Province, China 400
27 February 2010 Chile More than 700
12 January 2010 Haiti 230,000
30 September 2009 Sumrata Island, Indonesia 1000
6 April 2009 L’Aquila 309
29 October 2008 Balochistan 300
12 May 2008 Sichuan, China 87,000
15 August 2007 Ica, Peru At least 519
17 July 2006 Java Island, Indonesia More than 650
27 May 2006 Java Island, Indonesia More than 5,700
8 October 2005 Northern Pakistan and Kashmir 73,000
28 March 2005 Nias Island, Indonesia 1,300
22 February 2005 Zarand, Iran Hundreds
26 December 2004 Sumrata, Indonesia About 228,000
24 February 2004 Morocco’s Mediterranean Coast At least 500
26 December 2003 Bam, Iran More than 26,000
21 May 2003 Algeria More than 2000
1 May 2003 South East Turkey More than 160
24 February 2003 Xinjiang, China More than 260
31 October 2002 San Giuliano di Puglia, Italy 29, mostly children in one collapsed school
26 January 2001 Gujarat, India 20,000
12 November 1999 Ducze, Turkey About 400
21 September 1999 Taiwan 2500
17 August 1999 Izmit & Istanbul, Turkey 17,000
May 1997 Birjand, Iran More than 1600
27 May 1995 Sakhalin, Russia 1989
17 January 1995 Kobe, Japan 6430
30 September 1993 India 10,000
21 June 1990 Gilan, Iran About 40,000
7 December 1988 Armenia 25,000
4 March 1977 Romania 1500
28 July 1976 Los Amates, Guatemala 23,000
23 December 1972 Managua, Nicaragua 10,000
31 May 1970 Yungay, Peru 66,000