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.