1908 Messina earthquake

1908 Messina earthquake and tsunami

Ruins of Messina after the earthquake and tsunami. Taken at the northern section of the Palazzata in front of the harbour
UTC time	1908-12-28 04:20:27
ISC event	16958009
USGS-ANSS	ComCat
Local date	28 December 1908 (1908-12-28)
Local time	5:20:27
Duration	37 seconds
Magnitude	7.1 Mw[1]
Depth	5–6 mi (8–10 km)
Epicenter	38°09′N 15°41′E / 38.15°N 15.68°E / 38.15; 15.68 Strait of Messina
Fault	Possibly blind normal fault underlying Strait of Messina; or according to findings in 2019, the Messina -Taormina Fault which runs offshore of Sicily the entire length of the Strait[2]
Type	Dip-slip
Areas affected	Sicily & Calabria, Kingdom of Italy
Total damage	Tsunami waves, fires, landslides; Messina and Reggio Calabria almost destroyed
Max. intensity	MMI XI (Extreme)[3]
Tsunami	Up to 12 m (39 ft)
Landslides	Yes
Aftershocks	293
Casualties	75,000–82,000[3]

A devastating earthquake occurred on 28 December 1908 in Sicily and Calabria, southern Italy with a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). The epicentre was in the Strait of Messina which separates Sicily from the Italian mainland. The cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria were almost completely destroyed and between 75,000 and 82,000 people died, making it the deadliest earthquake in the history of Europe.