Deadly Earthquakes That Killed Thousands Over The Past Two Decades; A Timeline

As a deadly earthquake hit Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday, more than thousands were buried alive in the devastating tragedy. Till last reported, at least 1,300 people were killed in the earthquake and the toll was expected to rise further. While Turkey reported 912 deaths, Syria logged 326 fatalities. The tremors of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake were also felt in Cyprus, Lebanon and Iraq.

The deadly earthquake reminds people of the previous quakes that flattened cities and buried thousands with them. Here' a look at some of the world's deadliest earthquakes in the past two decades:

- Haiti, August 14, 2021: More than 2,200 people were killed when a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti. The quake caused massive destruction damaging around 13,000 homes.

- Indonesia, September 28, 2018: Over 4,300 people were dead after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the island of Sulawesi causing a 1.5 metre tsunami.

- Nepal, April 25, 2015: A magnitude-7.8 earthquake devastated Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people. The massive earthquake disrupted the lives of more than eight million.

- Japan, March 11, 2011: A 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan's northeast, triggering a massive nuclear disaster, the world's biggest since Chernobyl in 1986. At least 15,690 people were killed and 5,700 injuring.

- Haiti, January 13, 2010: In a calamity of immeasurable level, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake had claimed around 316,000 lives in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince. According to the United Nations, 80,000 buildings in Port-au-Prince and nearby region were destroyed.

- China, May 12, 2008: At least 87,600 people lost their lives after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan province.

- Asia, December 26, 2004: In one of the worst tragedies in the history of humankind, at least 2,30,000 were killed or went missing after a 9.15-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami. The devastating tsunami waves had hit Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and many other countries in the region, destroying everything in its path.

- Pakistan, October 8, 2005: A 7.6-magnitude quake hit the northeast of Islamabad killing at least 73,000 people. The earthquake also affected Kashmir in India, where at least 1,244 were killed.

- Iran, December 26, 2003: 31,000 people were killed in Iran when a 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit the southeastern province of Kerman and ravaged the city of Bam.