Earthquake China
1556 Shaanxi Earthquake
Deadliest earthquake in recorded history. Struck the Wei River valley where millions lived in loess cave dwellings that collapsed.
Figure uncertainty: Historical chronicle figure; modern estimates are uncertain.
Background from Wikipedia
One of the deadliest earthquakes in history occurred in the early morning of 23 January 1556 in Huaxian, Shaanxi, during the Ming dynasty.
From the Wikipedia article “1556 Shaanxi earthquake”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia's figures may differ from the sources cited on this page.
Sources & references
Impact figures
| Fatalities | 830,000 |
|---|---|
| Region | Shaanxi Province |
Figures per cited sources; estimates for older events vary.
Icon = what happened · ring colour = how serious:
Extreme Severe Moderate Minor
Loading live data… · Marker positions are approximate; severity is labelled in each popup. Sources: USGS, GDACS, NASA EONET, NOAA/NWS, EMSC.