Since the beginning of time, there have been natural disasters; in fact, Earth itself was formed from the Big Bang, which many people believe to be a natural disaster.
But these days, human activity has been the primary cause of these natural disasters, often leading to the loss of life and property.
Today is International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, and we will be spotlighting the worst natural disasters of the 21st century.
1. 2001 Gujarat Earthquake
On January 26, 2001, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Gujarat, India, causing around 20,000 deaths, 167,000 injuries, and over 400,000 building collapsed in the region.
2. 2003 European Heat Wave
The European Heat Wave of 2003 was the deadliest heatwave in the last 500 years. France was the country most affected. The death toll was over 70,000 in Europe, including France, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy, with average temperatures exceeding 45°C.
3. 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and earthquake
In 2004, off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, the Indian Ocean experienced a deadly tsunami, ejecting energy equivalent to 23,000 atom bombs. The epicentre of the earthquake which produced devastating waves up to metres high was beneath the ocean.
On the first day, over 150,000 people were killed and millions were missing. Approximately 230,000 people died in the earthquake and tsunami, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters of the 21st century.
3. 2005 Kashmir Earthquake
In 2005, a 7.6 MW earthquake, struck Pakistan's Kashmir, causing 100,000 deaths, 70,000 injuries, and rendering four million homeless people. This was one of the deadliest earthquakes to happen in that area.
5. 2010 Haiti Earthquake
Haiti experienced a magnitude-7.3 earthquake on January 12, 2010, resulting in 220,000 deaths and over 300,000 injuries. The earthquake is considered one of the worst natural disasters in the last decade, with over 3 million people becoming homeless