Without warning, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the city of Tangshan in China, killing 242,769 people and destroying 90 percent of the city's buildings. A similar earthquake struck 17 months earlier about 280 miles northeast near Haicheng. But a series of smaller foreshocks provoked Chinese officials to issue warnings urging people to remain outdoors, and only 1,328 people died. (Courtesy: China Stock Photo Agency)[back]
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