Human consequences
More than 5,000 pupils die in collapsed schools, dubbed “tofu-dreg” buildings.
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EarthquakeSichuan earthquake
87,150Deaths
4.8MDisplaced / homeless
$124bnEstimated cost
- 69,227 dead and 17,923 missing.
- About 845 billion yuan according to the Chinese authorities.
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake strikes the foothills of the Tibetan Plateau in the middle of the afternoon. Entire towns are destroyed and valleys cut off by landslides.
Consequences
Environmental consequences
Dozens of landslide dam lakes threaten to burst, including Tangjiashan.
Economic consequences
Millions of homes destroyed or damaged.
Political consequences
Citizen investigations into the collapsed schools, led notably by the artist Ai Weiwei, are suppressed.
Further reading
Similar disasters
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In the rankings : The deadliest earthquakes in history No. 7The costliest disasters in history No. 6
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