China's Worst Modern Quake

Most of Tangshan's 1 million inhabitants lay sleeping in the early morning hours of July 28,1976. Without warning, at 3:43 a,m., a massive earthquake ripped through the densely populated industrial center and left it a ruin of crumbled buildings, fallen smokestacks and heaps of rubble. Measuring 7,8 on the Richter scale, the quake leveled an area of 20 sq. mi., causing death and destruction without precedent in recorded history: as many as 750,000 are estimated to have died in the catastrophe.

Departing from their usual silence on such matters, Chinese officials recently disclosed some new details about the Tangshan disaster to a group of visiting American experts. More than 75% of Tangshan's 916 multistory buildings, which were not built to withstand quakes, were flattened or severely damaged by the temblor; only four remained intact. In addition, 300 miles of railroad track were ruined; 231 highway bridges and 40 earth dams were damaged. So many underground pipes were twisted and broken that Tangshan's water supply system was disrupted for several months. Some of the mines were flooded, and thousands of workers were trapped in the shafts. Caltech's George W, Housner, a specialist in quakeproof engineering who headed the American group, termed the Tangshan event "the greatest earthquake disaster in the history of mankind." Despite their tremendous losses, the Chinese have faced the task of reconstruction with stoic determination. Today much of the city's industry is reportedly back in operation, and officials expect to finish rebuilding Tangshan by 1982.