In light of the horrific earthquake that has wrought devastation in Trkiye and Syria, RT looks at the most powerful quakes in recent years
The earthquake that hit Trkiye on Monday killed more than 1,000 people and left over 5,000 injured, prompting Ankara to describe it as the most destructive the nation had seen in decades. The disaster was not confined to Trkiye, however, as Syria has confirmed hundreds dead and many injured.
RT looks at the most tragic earthquakes seen so far this century.
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The earthquake claimed the lives of more than 19,700 people and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. A tsunami caused by the quake led to the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, which has been described as the worst nuclear catastrophe since Chernobyl in 1986. Three of the Japanese facility's reactors melted down, leading to a discharge of radioactive water in the area surrounding the plant. Residents within a 20km radius of the Fukushima plant were evacuated. The estimated economic damage from the event amounted to $235 billion, according to the World Bank, making it the costliest disaster in history.
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