Erdbeben von Tangshan, 1976

Tangshan, China, Earthquake July 27 UTC (local time July 28), 1976. Damage to the library of the Hebei Mine Smelting Institute. This building is being preserved as a record of what happened in the 1976 earthquake. This earthquake occurred in the northeastern part of China, near the coast. The epicenter was centered about 140 kilometers southeast of Beijing, in the vicinity of Tangshan. The first earthquake, magnitude 7.5, was followed by a major aftershock 15 hours later. According to official sources, the two earthquakes killed 242,769 people, although some estimates of the death toll are as high as 655,000. Over 799,000 people were injured. Aftershocks in the 5.0-5.5 range continued after the main shock. Damage extended as far as Beijing.