Most Powerful earthquakes that occurred in the past century across the world.

Most Powerful earthquakes that occurred in the past century across the world.

- Chile, 1960: 9.5

The most powerful ever recorded, the quake hit Chile's coast in May, lasting about 10 minutes. Around 5,700 people are killed in Chile; the resulting tsunami leaves 130 dead in Japan and 61 in Hawaii.

- Alaska, 1964: 9.2

The largest earthquake recorded in the United States, it strikes the Prince William Sound area in March and unleashes a large tsunami but causes only around 123 deaths.

- Japan, 2011: 9.1

This quake triggers a devastating tsunami off northeastern Japan, leaving some 18,500 people dead and crippling the Fukushima nuclear power plant in the world's worst atomic disaster in 25 years

- Indonesia, 2004: 9.1

The earthquake strikes off the coast of Sumatra in December and unleashes a tsunami that kills 220,000 in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

- Russia, 1952: 9.0

More than 2,300 people are killed when this quake hits Siberia's Kamchatka peninsula, causing a tsunami felt as far as Chile and Peru.

- Chile, 2010: 8.8

The quake is intense but kills only around 450 people, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific.

- China, 1976: 242,000 killed

A quake measured at 7.4 strikes near the industrial city of Tangshan in northeastern Hebei province. The official death toll is given as 242,000 but is believed to be significantly higher.

- China, 1920: up to 235,000 reported killed

This quake, measured at 8.3, hits the Haiyuan county of the northern province of Ningxia and causes aftershocks for several years.

- Haiti, 2010: more than 200,000 killed

A 7.0-quake hits in January, destroying thousands of buildings and leaving at least 200,000 people dead