Colombia quake toll rises to 77; region's deadliest temblors recalled

A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia early Monday, killing at least 77 people and collapsing buildings across several cities, with many residents still trapped under the rubble. The temblor comes just days after right-wing lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella was sworn in as president, and follows twin quakes in neighboring Venezuela in June that claimed over 6,000 lives.

Latin America sits atop a complex web of fault lines, making it one of the most seismically active regions on Earth. Here is a look at ten of its deadliest earthquakes on record.

1. The 2010 Haiti Earthquake (Magnitude 7.0, Death toll: 316,000)

Despite a relatively moderate magnitude, this quake was the second-deadliest in history, surpassed only by the 1556 Shaanxi Province quake in China. It struck the densely populated capital, Port-au-Prince, where weak infrastructure, poor building practices, and a lack of emergency services turned a strong tremor into a catastrophe. Losses were estimated at $8 billion, nearly 120% of the country's 2009 GDP.

2. The 1868 Ecuador-Colombia Earthquakes (Magnitude 7.7, Death toll: 70,000)

A cluster of quakes, culminating in a 7.7-magnitude event, destroyed several towns, killing an estimated 40,000 in Ecuador and 30,000 in Colombia. A government commission wrote that the city of Ibarra was turned into a "large and dismal burial ground" in less than three seconds.

3. The 1970 Peru Earthquake (Magnitude 7.9, Death toll: 66,794)

This undersea quake triggered the deadliest landslide in history, destabilizing the northern wall of Peru's tallest mountain. A mass of glacial ice and rock, traveling at up to 335 kmph, buried the towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca under meters of sludge. Nearly one million people were left homeless.

4. The 1797 Ecuador Earthquake (Magnitude 8.3, Death toll: 40,000)

The most powerful known quake to strike Ecuador, it hit the second-highest level on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, leveling buildings in Quito, Riobamba, Latacunga, and Ambato within seconds.

5. The 1939 Chile Earthquake (Magnitude 8.3, Death toll: 30,000)

Though Chile holds the record for the strongest quake ever recorded (a 9.5 in 1960), the 1939 event in Chillan was its deadliest. Weak adobe construction and a lack of engineering design contributed to the high toll, leading to Chile's first anti-seismic building code.

6. The 1812 Venezuela Earthquake (Magnitude 7.7, Death toll: 26,000)

A trio of quakes destroyed around 90% of Caracas. The disaster struck during Venezuela's revolutionary war, and Spanish authorities called it divine punishment. The United States sent food and money in an early example of foreign aid.

7. The 1868 Arica Earthquake (Magnitude 8.5, Death toll: 25,000)

Striking the city of Arica (then Peru, now Chile), this quake and its resulting tsunami razed port cities and sent devastating waves as far away as Hawaii and New Zealand.

8. The 1976 Guatemala Earthquake (Magnitude 7.5, Death toll: 23,000)

Striking at 3 a.m., this quake obliterated adobe houses across a vast area, left nearly 1.2 million people homeless, and destroyed about two-fifths of the country's hospitals.

9. The 1797 Venezuela Earthquake (Magnitude: N/A, Death toll: 16,000)

Documented by Baron Alexander von Humboldt, this quake destroyed the town of Cumana. Witnesses reported loud underground noises, the smell of sulfur, and flames rising from the earth.

10. The 1861 Argentina Earthquake (Magnitude: N/A, Death toll: 14,000)

Striking near midnight, this quake destroyed most of Mendoza, including the San Francisco Basilica. Gas lamps fueled fires that raged for days, leading to widespread looting. Records estimate the magnitude at 7.2.