1976 Tangshan earthquake
The 1976 Tangshan earthquake (Chinese: 唐山大地震; pinyin: Tángshān dà dìzhèn; lit. 'Great Tangshan earthquake') was a Mw 7.6 earthquake that hit the region around Tangshan, Hebei, China, at 3:42 a.m. on 28 July 1976. The maximum intensity of the earthquake was XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli scale. In minutes, 85 percent of the buildings in Tangshan collapsed or were rendered unusable, all services failed, and most of the highway and railway bridges collapsed or were seriously damaged. The official report claimed 242,769 deaths and 164,851 serious injuries in Tangshan, but when taken into account the missing, the injured who later died and the deaths in nearby Beijing and Tianjin, scholars accepted at least 300,000 died, making it one of the deadliest earthquakes in recorded history and worst disasters in China by death toll.
| UTC time | Doublet earthquake: |
|---|---|
| A: 1976-07-27 19:42:55 | |
| B: 1976-07-28 10:45:36 | |
| ISC event | |
| A: 711732 | |
| B: 711773 | |
| USGS-ANSS | |
| A: ComCat | |
| B: ComCat | |
| Local date | 28 July 1976 |
| Local time | Peking time: |
| A: 03:42:55 | |
| B: 18:45:36 | |
| Magnitude | |
| A: 7.6 Mw; 7.6 Ms | |
| B: 7.0 Mw; 7.4 Ms | |
| Depth | A: 12.2 km B: 16.7 km |
| Epicenter | 39.63°N 118.10°E 39.72°N 118.44°E |
| Max. intensity | MMI XI (Extreme) |
| Casualties | 242,419 to 655,000 |