1949 Earthquake in Tajikistan Triggered Landslides That Killed Over 7,000

A powerful earthquake struck Tajikistan on July 10, 1949.

Heavy rain had already soaked the mountain slopes, and the shaking set off huge landslides that buried towns and villages.

More than 7,000 people died, mainly in collapsed buildings and under the sliding earth.

The disaster shows how an earthquake can trigger deadly dangers beyond the shaking itself.