FACTS: The world's five most powerful earthquakes in history

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake recently struck near Mindanao, the Philippines' second-largest island. The tremor was followed by a 6.1 magnitude aftershock, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).

Earthquakes around magnitude 7 are classified as major, capable of causing fatalities and significant damage. However, those exceeding magnitude 8 are considered severely destructive, leading to widespread material damage and numerous casualties.

The article provides a historical list of the five most powerful earthquakes ever recorded: 1. A magnitude 9.5 earthquake in southern Chile on May 22, 1960, which killed 1,655 people. 2. A magnitude 9.2 earthquake in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA, on March 28, 1964, resulting in approximately 130 deaths. 3. A magnitude 9.1 earthquake off northern Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 26, 2004, which triggered a massive tsunami across Asia, killing 227,898 people. 4. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake in northern Japan on March 11, 2011, with an estimated 20,000 dead or missing. 5. A magnitude 8.9 earthquake on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, on November 4, 1952, with a potential death toll exceeding 10,000.