The Tangshan Earthquake, also known as the Great Tangshan Earthquake, was a natural disaster that occurred on Wednesday, July 28, 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.
A further 164,000 people were recorded as being severely injured. The earthquake occurred between a series of political events involving the Communist Party of China, ultimately leading to the expulsion of the ruling Gang of Four by Mao's chosen successor Hua Guofeng. In traditional Chinese thought, natural disasters are seen as a precursor of dynastic change.
The earthquake hit in the early morning, at 03:42:53.8 local time (1976 July 27 19:42:53.8 UTC), and lasted 14 to 16 seconds. Chinese government official sources state a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter magnitude scale, though some sources listed it as high as 8.2. It was followed by a major 7.1 magnitude aftershock
some 16 hours later, increasing the death toll to over 255,000. The
earthquake was generated by the 25-mile long Tangshan Fault, which runs
near the city and ruptured due to tectonic forces caused by the Amurian Plate sliding past the Eurasian Plate.
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Controversial statistics
Until fairly recently, China's political environment has made it
difficult to properly gauge the extent of natural disasters. Successive
governments have placed more importance on the appearance of harmony
rather than accurate information on damages. The Tangshan Earthquake
came at a rather politically sensitive time during the late stages of
the Cultural Revolution,
making accurate statistics especially difficult to find. The Tangshan
earthquake killed 242,000 people according to official figures, though
some sources estimate a death toll up to three times higher. This would
make it the deadliest earthquake in modern times, and the second or
third deadliest in recorded history. It is worth noting that the
population of Tangshan at the time the quake struck was estimated to be
around 1.6 million and that most of Tangshan's city proper was flattened.
Many experts believe the Chinese government has never released an
accurate death toll for the disaster. The death toll figure of 242,419
came from the Chinese Seismological Service in 1988, while some sources have estimated the death toll to be at 650,000. Others range as high as 700,000. The initial estimates of 655,000 dead and 779,000 injured were released by Hebei Revolutionary Committee.
A Tangshan earthquake memorial in Tianjin
Aftermath
The Chinese government refused to accept international aid from the United Nations, and insisted on self-reliance. Shanghai sent 56 medical teams to Tangshan, in addition to the People's Liberation Army who were assisting while also trying to fix their tarnished image of Red guards destructions earlier.
Rebuilding infrastructure started immediately in Tangshan, and the city
was completely rebuilt. Today Tangshan city is home to nearly three
million people and is known as "Brave City of China."
Political aftermath
The earthquake came in one of the most dramatic years in the history
of the People's Republic. The earthquake was preceded by the death of Zhou Enlai in earlier months and followed by the death of Mao Zedong in September. The political repercussions of the disaster and its aftermath contributed to the end of the Cultural Revolution. Mao's chosen successor Hua Guofeng showed concern, thereby solidifying his status as China's leader. He, with Chen Yonggui,
made a personal visit to Tangshan on August 4 to survey the damage and
was photographed in the tasks of cleaning up and comforting the
survivors.
Leaders who opposed the return of Deng Xiaoping, especially the group which became known as Gang of Four,
filled the press with concern for the victims, but explicitly said that
the nation should not be diverted by the earthquake, and that the
priority was to denounce Deng instead. Jiang Qing
was widely quoted as saying "There were merely several hundred thousand
deaths. So what? Denouncing Deng Xiaoping concerns 800 million people."
Other Gang of Four slogans said: "Be alert to Deng Xiaoping's criminal
attempt to exploit earthquake phobia to suppress revolution!"
in Wikipédia
NOTA: depois de terem previsto o sismo de 1975 de Haicheng, a 4 de fevereiro de 1975, este sismo foi uma grande derrota para a Revolução Cultural e para o Partido Comunista Chinês - a ponto de, ainda hoje, não sabermos os números reais de mortos provocados por este desastre natural...
