Shaanxi province earthquake of 1556

Japanese: 華県地震 - かけんじしん（英語表記）Shaanxi province earthquake of 1556

A massive earthquake occurred in the morning of January 23, 1556 in Shaanxi Province in northern China. It is said to be the deadliest earthquake on record. Its magnitude was estimated at 8. Shaanxi Province and neighboring Shanxi Province to the east were affected, with an estimated 830,000 dead and injured. The population of both provinces is thought to have decreased by about 60%. According to records, the epicenter was near Hua County in Shaanxi Province. The destruction is described in great detail and vividness for this type of record, and although the shaking lasted only a few seconds, mountains collapsed, rivers changed course, large floods occurred, and fires broke out that continued to burn for days. Many of the victims died after being crushed by collapsed houses, so houses made of bamboo and wood, which are more flexible and earthquake-resistant, began to be built in place of the collapsed stone houses. The Huaxian earthquake is associated with three major faults that form the border of the Wei River basin.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

1556年1月23日朝，中国北部シェンシー（陝西）省で発生した巨大地震。記録に残る地震のなかでも最多の死者を出した地震といわれる。マグニチュード（M）は 8と推定される。陝西省と東に隣接するシャンシー（山西）省が被災し，死傷者は推定 83万人。両省の人口は約 60%減少したと考えられる。記録によれば，震源地は陝西省ホワ（華）県付近。破壊の状況はこの種の記録としてはきわめて詳細かつ生々しく記されており，ゆれは数秒間の短いものだったにもかかわらず，山々は崩れ，川の流れが変わり，大規模な洪水が起こり，火災が発生して何日も燃え続けたという。犠牲者の多くは倒壊家屋の下敷きになって死亡したため，以後，崩れた石造りの家に代わって，より柔軟で地震に強い，タケや木などを使った家が建てられるようになった。華県地震は，ウェイ（渭）河流域の境界線を形成する三つの大きな断層と関連している。

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