Philippines earthquake death toll rises to 69: A look at the deadliest quakes of the 21st Century

The death toll from 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit The Philippines on Tuesday rose to at least 69 on Wednesday, with authorities continuing search and rescue operations to find survivors.

One of the strongest earthquakes to hit the island nation in a decade, the shallow quake struck off the coast of the island of Cebu, damaging buildings and cutting off power in the region.

As many as 150 people are said be injured, while the hospital in Bogo City near the quake's epicentre has been 'overwhelmed', Reuters reported.

The Philippines lies in the ominously named 'Pacific Ring of Fire' where earthquakes and volcanic activity are fairly common due to tectonic activity.

However, while Tuesday's quake and the devastation left in its wake is tragic, it pales in comparison to some that rocked the world in the recent past. Here, we take a look at some of the deadliest earthquakes of the 21st Century.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

On 26 December 2004, a massive undersea earthquake measuring 9.2-9.3 in magnitude struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering a series of devastating tsunamis with waves as high as 100 feet across the Indian Ocean. The third-strongest earthquake ever recorded, the 2004 disaster left 14 countries devastated, with the death toll estimated to be 227,898.

2010 Haiti earthquake

A few days after the turn of the year, on 12 January 2010, a 7.0 magnitude struck close to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. The shallow depth of 13km triggered intense shaking in the capital, devastating the city and its surrounding areas, leaving at least 160,000 dead. The 2010 disaster also triggered a massive humanitarian crisis in Haiti, leaving 1.5 million people homeless and the country's infrastructure crippled.

2008 Sichuan earthquake

A couple years before the devastating quake in Haiti, a powerful 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Sichuan province in China on 12 May 2008, flattening entire towns and triggering widespread landslides. The official death toll in the disaster was pegged at 87,587, while 375,000 people were left injured and millions rendered homeless.

2005 Kashmir earthquake

On 8 October 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Kashmir, with the epicenter located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Exacerbated by the mountainous terrain, powerful quake left the entire region devastated, with the trail of destruction spreading as far as Afghanistan. The official death toll was 87,351, with a disproportionate 73,000 of those occurring in Pakistan. Nearly 40,000 people were injured, while 3.5 million were rendered homeless.

2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes

On 6 February 2023, not one but a series of powerful earthquakes jolted southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria, with the strongest having a magnitude of 7.8. Due to the shallow depth of the quakes, the tremors were catastrophic for the region: the combined death toll across the two countries exceeded 62,000 people, with a bulk of those taking place in Turkey.

2003 Bam earthquake

A year before the widespread devastation caused by the 2004 earthquake and tsunami, Iran was rocked by a relatively mild 6.6 magnitude quake. However, the shallow quake occurred very early in the morning, when most were asleep, and caused widespread destruction in the Bam region, with 34,000 deaths and over 200,000 injuries reported.

2001 Gujarat earthquake

Also known as the Bhuj earthquake, the Gujarat quake of 26 January 2001, which struck on India's Republic Day, was one of the worst disasters in the country's history. The quake struck at depth of 17.4km and devastated the Kutch district, leaving 90% of homes damaged or destroyed. Nearly 30 million people across the state of Gujarat were affected, while 20,085 people lost their lives.

2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami

The most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan, the 9.0-9.1 magnitude Tohoku quake struck on 11 March 2011, triggering tsunami waves as high as 133 feet. The dual disaster not only devastated the region, but also caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster that left the water in the area irradiated. Official figures released in 2021 put the death toll at 19,759, and the number of missing people at 2,553.

2015 Nepal earthquake

A magnitude 7.8-7.9 earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April 2015, roughly 85 km from the capital Kathmandu, leaving 8,962 people dead and 21,952 injured across the country, as well as its neighbours India and China and nearby Bangladesh. Considered to be the worst natural disaster to hit Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-India earthquake, it was estimated to have caused damages equal to $10 billion (about 50% of Nepal's nominal GDP at the time).

2006 Yogyakarta earthquake

Another 'Ring of Fire' quake, the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake in Indonesia was relatively mild at a magnitude of 6.4, but caused massive destruction nonetheless. Tens of thousands were left injured while 5,756 people lost their lives. Damages from the quake were estimated to be in the ballpark of $3 billion.