en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruins
1 correction found
the strongest earthquake in the USSR in terms of the number of victims
This is incorrect: the 1988 Armenian earthquake killed about 25,000 people, while the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake in the USSR killed about 110,000.
Full reasoning
U.S. government sources contradict this caption.
- NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information says the 1988 Armenian earthquake caused 25,000 deaths.
- The U.S. Geological Survey says the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake in Turkmenistan (USSR) caused 110,000 deaths.
Because 110,000 is far greater than 25,000, the 1988 Armenian earthquake was not the Soviet Union's deadliest earthquake by number of victims.
This is a factual comparison, not a matter of interpretation: the article's wording specifically ranks the Armenian earthquake by victim count, and authoritative earthquake records show a higher-fatality USSR earthquake in 1948.
2 sources
- Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
The death toll (25,000) could have been much worse had it not been for the heroic rescue of 15,000 who were pulled from the rubble.
- Today in Earthquake History | U.S. Geological Survey
M7.3 - Turkmenistan (Turkmeniya, USSR), 1948 ... 110,000 dead. One of the world's deadliest earthquakes.