Some facts about the strongest earthquakes ever recorded
On Wednesday, one of the strongest earthquakes struck Russia in the Far East, which made the waves of tsunami are washing on the ground in Japan and Alaska and calls on the Pacific people to be on alert or to move to higher ground.
The 8.8 magnitude temblor has sparked warnings in Hawaii, North and Central America and the Pacific Islands to the South towards New Zealand, with officials warning that the potential danger of tsunami could last more than a day.
Here is a glance at some of the most powerful earthquakes previously recorded, according to the US Geological Survey.
An earthquake of amplitude of 9.5 struck in a central region of Chile in 1960. Known under the name of Stravake de Valdivia or a large Chilean earthquake, the largest Temblor ever recorded resulted in more than 1,600 deaths in the country and beyond, most caused by a large tsunami resulting. Thousands of people were injured.
In 1964, an earthquake of magnitude of 9.2 rocked the Sound Prince William of Alaska, lasted for almost 5 minutes. More than 130 people were killed in the largest earthquake recorded in the United States and the subsequent tsunami. There were huge landslides and imposing waves that caused serious floods. The event was followed by thousands of replicas for weeks after the initial earthquake.
An earthquake of magnitude 9.1 and a resulting tsunami devastated the Southeast and South Asia and East Africa in 2004, killing 230,000 people. Indonesia alone has recorded more than 167,000 deaths while entire communities have been destroyed.
An earthquake of magnitude 9.1 struck off the northeast coasts of Japan in 2011, triggering an imposing tsunami that broke the Fukushima nuclear power plant. He eliminated power and cooling systems and triggered collapses in three reactors. More than 18,000 people were killed in the earthquake and tsunami, some of which have never been recovered.
In 1952, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake caused significant damage, but no death reported despite a tsunami that struck Hawaii with waves of 9.1 meters (30 feet).
A massive earthquake of 8.8 magnitude struck the Central Chile in 2010, shaking the capital for a minute and half and triggering a tsunami. More than 500 people were killed in the disaster.
In 1906, an earthquake of amplitude of 8.8 and a resulting tsunami killed around 1,500 people. Its effects were felt for kilometers along the Central Coast of America and with regard to San Francisco and Japan.
In 1965, an earthquake of magnitude 8.7 struck the islands of the Alaska rats, causing a tsunami high of 11 meters (35 feet). There have been relatively minor damage, including cracks in buildings and an asphalt track.
At least 780 people were killed when an earthquake of magnitude 8.6 struck in 1950. Dozens of villages were destroyed, at least one which slipped into a river. There were also major landslides that blocked the Subansiri river in India. When the water finally pierced, it resulted in a fatal wave of 7 meters (23 feet).
In 2012, a powerful 8.6 amplitude earthquake struck the west coast north of Sumatra in Indonesia. Although the earthquake caused little damage, it increased the pressure on a defect which was the source of the devastating tsunami of 2004.
