The
Tangshan earthquake, also known as the
Great Tangshan earthquake, was a natural disaster that occurred on July 27, 1976. It is believed to be the largest
earthquake of the 20th century by death toll. The
epicenter of the earthquake was near
Tangshan in
Hebei,
People's Republic of China, an industrial city with approximately one million inhabitants. The number of deaths initially reported by the
Chinese government was 655,000, but this number has since been stated to be around 240,000 to 255,000. Another report indicates that the actual death toll was much higher, at approximately 650,000, and explains that the lower estimates are limited to Tangshan and exclude fatalities in the densely populated surrounding areas.