NEW DELHI — A powerful earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck western India and Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 845 people.
India's meteorological department said it was the region's most intense in 50 years.
The most murderous recorded quake in history killed an estimated 830,000 people in Shaanxi, central China on February 2, 1556.
Another quake in Tangshan killed an estimated 250,000 people on July 27, 1976. It measured 7.9 on the Richter scale.
A chronology of major earthquakes of the past 20 years follows. Magnitudes are based on the Richter scale and all quakes have killed more than 1,000 people.
Sept 21, 1999 - TAIWAN - At least 2,000 killed and hundreds of thousands made homeless by a quake measuring 7.6 in central Taiwan.
Aug 17, 1999 - TURKEY - About 15,600 people were killed when a quake, measuring 7.4, hit Turkey.
Jan 25, 1999 - COLOMBIA - A quake measuring 6.3 killed at least 1,170 people in Colombia's central coffee-growing region.
July 17, 1998 - PAPUA NEW GUINEA - An undersea quake measuring 7.1 created three tidal waves, which killed at least 2,100 people.
May 30, 1998 - AFGHANISTAN - A quake measuring 6.9 killed up to 4,000 people in northern Afghanistan's Takhar province.
Feb 4, 1998 - AFGHANISTAN - At least 4,500 were killed in the same Takhar province in an earlier quake measuring 6.1.
10 May 10, 1997 - IRAN - A quake measuring 7.1 killed 1,560 people in rural areas of eastern Iran near the Afghan border.
Feb 28, 1997 - IRAN - A quake measuring 5.5 killed about 1,000 people in northwestern Iran.
May 28, 1995 - RUSSIA - Russia's worst earthquake killed 1,989 people in oil-producing Far East Russia. The quake measured 7.5.
Jan 17, 1995 - JAPAN - A quake measuring 7.2 killed 6,430 people when it rocked Kobe. It was the biggest quake to hit Japan in half a century.
June 6, 1994 - COLOMBIA - A quake brought down buildings and triggered mudslides, killing some 1,000 in the Paez River valley in southwestern Colombia.
Sept 30, 1993 - INDIA - A series of quakes killed almost 10,000 people in western and southern India. The first tremor measured 6.4.
Dec 12, 1992 - INDONESIA - A quake measuring 6.8 killed at least 2,200 people on a string of islands in the province of East Nusa Tenggara.
Oct 20, 1991 - INDIA - A quake measuring 6.1 killed 1,600 people close to Uttarkashi, northeast of Delhi.
Feb 1, 1991 - PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN - A quake measuring 6.8 killed around 1,200 people (Pakistan 200, Afghanistan 1,000)
July 16, 1990 - PHILIPPINES - A quake measuring 7.8 killed 1,620 people.The epicentre was the city of Cabanatuan.
Jun 21, 1990 - IRAN - A quake measuring 7.7 killed 35,000 people. It was the worst recorded disaster in Iran.
Dec 7, 1988 - SOVIET UNION - A quake measuring 6.9 killed more than 25,000 people.
March 5, 1987 - ECUADOR - A quake measuring 7.0 killed over 1,000 people.
Oct 10, 1986 - EL SALVADOR - A quake of just 5.5 killed 1,500 people in San Salvador.
Sept 19, 1985 - MEXICO - 9,500 killed and 40,000 people injured. 8.1 on the Richter scale. The earthquake hit Mexico City and adjoining region.
Oct 30, 1983 - TURKEY - About 1,300 people killed and 500 people injured. 6.9 on the Richter scale. The earthquake struck around the city of Erzurum.
Dec 13, 1982 - YEMEN - 3,000 people killed and 2,000 injured. 6.0 on the Richter scale.
Jun 11, 1981 - IRAN - 1,027 people killed and over 800 injured. 6.8 on the Richter scale.
Nov 23, 1980 - ITALY - 2,735 people killed and over 7,500 injured. 7.2 on Richter scale. The epicentre was at Eboli but damage was reported over a huge area to Naples.
Oct 10, 1980 - ALGERIA - Provisional figures issued by the United Nations said 2,590 killed. It registered up to 7.3 on the Richter scale and left 330,000 people homeless.