THE TEN DEADLIEST WORLD CATASTROPHES, 1970-2008 (1) |
|
Rank |
Date |
Country |
Event |
Victims |
1 |
Nov. 14, 1970 |
Bangladesh, Bay of Bengal |
Storm and flood |
300,000 |
2 |
Jul. 28, 1976 |
China |
Earthquake (magnitude 7.5) |
255,000 |
3 |
Dec. 26, 2004 |
Indonesia, Thailand et al. |
Earthquake (magnitude 9), tsunami in Indian Ocean |
220,000 |
4 |
May 2, 2008 |
Myanmar (Burma), Bay of Bengal |
Tropical cyclone Nargis; lrrawaddy Delta flooded |
138,373 |
5 |
Apr. 29, 1991 |
Bangladesh |
Tropical cyclone Gorky |
138,000 |
6 |
May 12, 2008 |
China |
Earthquake (magnitude 7.9) in Shichuan, aftershocks |
87,449 |
7 |
Oct. 8, 2005 |
Pakistan, India, Afghanistan |
Earthquake (magnitude 7.6); aftershocks, landslides |
73,300 |
8 |
May 31, 1970 |
Peru |
Earthquake (magnitude 7.7); rock slides |
66,000 |
9 |
Jun. 21, 1990 |
Iran |
Earthquake (magnitude 7.7); landslides |
40,000 |
10 |
Jun. 1, 2003 |
France, Italy, Germany et al. |
Heat wave and drought in Europe |
35,000 |
(1) Dead and missing.
Source: Swiss Re, sigma, No. 2/2009. |
|