These Are The Deadliest Natural Disasters In Modern History

Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami, 2011

On March 11, 2011, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake at an underwater depth of 29 kilometers struck the coast of Japan. The quake was the largest to ever hit Japan and the fourth most powerful in the history of the world. Soon after the ‘quake, a tsunami followed. The disaster was responsible for the death of 15,894 people, injuring 5,152, and leaving 2,562 people missing.

The natural disaster completely flattened 127,000 buildings and partially collapsed 272,000 structures. To make things worse, the earthquake caused the meltdowns of three nuclear reactors, causing the second largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.