Early in the morning, a massive earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale strikes Tangshan, a Chinese industrial city with a population of approximately one million people. As almost everyone was at home in their beds instead of outside in the relative safety of the streets or fields, the earthquake was especially costly in terms of human life. By the time the rescue effort came to an end, the Chinese government estimated that 250,000 people had been killed, making it the deadliest earthquake of the 20th century.
Because it is situated between the Indian and Pacific plates, China has always been a very active location for earthquakes throughout history.
