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earlofmuon | 18:04 Tue 30th Dec 2008 | Quizzes & Puzzles
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In which year was Britain's only recorded earthquake death?
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http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/earthquakes/e ducHave earthquakes caused deaths in Britain?
YES. Eleven people are known to have died as the result of British earthquakes. Six were killed by falling stones, two fell from upper floors, two died of shock and one committed suicide. Details are summarised below:



Date Epicentre Magnitude Number of deaths, Place, Cause
6 Apr 1580 Dover Straits >6 2, London, falling masonry
15 Jul 1757 Penzance 4.5 1, Penryn, fell out window
7 Sep 1801 Comrie 4.5 2, near Edinburgh, falling masonry
18 Sep 1833 Chichester 3 1, Cocking, falling rock
22 Apr 1884 Colchester 4.5 1, Wivenhoe, shock, (uncertain)
1, Manningtree, suicide

1 Feb 1915 Conisbrough < 3 1, Conisbrough, Falling rock
7 Jun 1931 North Sea 5.6 1, Hull, Shock?
12 Dec 1940 Porthmadog 4.7 1, Criccieth, Fell downstairs


Magnitudes are ML (Richter local magnitude); where estimated from macroseismics, in some cases, they are only given as approximate values.

ation/faqs/faq14.html
On June 27 1906, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit Swansea and parts of south Wales. It was one of the most powerful ever to occur on British soil and according to Roger Musson, of the British Geological Survey, did "quite a bit of damage" to chimney pots. There was even some debate as to whether the earthquake might have claimed a life: a miner indeed died in a rock fall but there is no way of proving the shock dislodged the lethal lump of rock. British earthquakes may never have killed anyone, and the Swansea centenary is in any case handsomely eclipsed by the recent centenary of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906: one of the world's great natural disasters.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2006/jun/2 6/highereducation.climatechange
6 April 1580 found after googling UK earthquake history. I hope it is right.
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Thanks guys.

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