December 28 - Worst European Earthquake

This Day in History: 28 December 2019

 

28 December 1908

 

111 years ago, today, the worst European earthquake ever recorded occurred in the Straits of Messina in southern Italy, devastating 90% of the buildings in the cities of Messina and Reggio di Calabria. This earthquake struck at 5:20am without any warning, meaning most people were at home in bed, rather than in the safety of the streets of fields, and events that followed killed an estimated 100,000 people. The main shock of the earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale, and was followed by a deadly tsunami that washed over the coastal towns and cities.

 

The towns affected by the earthquake, Messina and Reggio di Calabria, had cut telegraph lines and damaged railway lines, which hindered relief efforts. To make things worse, the earthquake was followed by hundreds of small tremors over the next few days, which destroyed many of the few remaining buildings, and injured or killed rescuers. Two days after the quake, on December 30, King Victor Emmanuel III arrived aboard the battleship Napoli in order to inspect the calamity, while rains fell on the devastated cities. This forced the survivors to take shelter in caves, shacks, and whatever they could find. As well as this, sailors could hardly recognise the shoreline, as long stretches of the coast had shrunk into the Messina Strait.

 

Want to find out more about this deadly earthquake and the tsunami that followed? Clickhere for more details.