Kamchatka's 8.8-magnitude quake: Where does it rank among history's strongest earthquakes?

Dubai: People around the globe woke up on Wednesday to the news of a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, one of the strongest quakes ever recorded in the region. The tremor hit at 11:25 am local time, triggering widespread tsunami warnings across the Pacific and sending shockwaves of concern all over the world.

As emergency teams assess the damage and coastal communities brace for aftershocks and waves, the quake is already being ranked among the most powerful in modern history. Only a handful of seismic events over the last century have registered such catastrophic strength.

Here is a look at some of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded:

1. Valdivia, Chile (1960) – Magnitude 9.4
The largest earthquake ever recorded devastated southern Chile, triggering a massive tsunami that reached as far as Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.

2. Alaska Earthquake US (1964) – Magnitude 9.2
The Great Alaska Earthquake caused widespread destruction and deadly tsunamis across the Pacific, permanently reshaping parts of Alaska’s coastline.

3. Indian Ocean (2004) – Magnitude 9.1
One of the deadliest disasters in modern times, the quake off the coast of Sumatra unleashed a catastrophic tsunami, killing more than 230,000 people in 14 countries.