In Context
Officially, the Chinese government estimated between 240,000 and 250,000 people died in the Tangshan earthquake.
The rebuilding of Tangshan began almost immediately after the earthquake and eventually the entire city was rebuilt. It is now home to more than a million people - earning it the name "Brave City of China."
In the decades since the quake, the death toll is estimated closer to half a million although some believe it is higher still. This would make this the most deadly quake in the twentieth century, and the strongest since the Alaska quake in 1964 which was of magnitude 9.2.
More people died in earthquakes in the first 10 months of 1976 than in any year since 1970.
During 1976, there were a string of tremors, stretching from China to Greece, which Swedish expert Dr Marcus Baath believes may be a signal of new movement in the Earth's crust.
In August 1976, a new earthquake measuring 6.9 was reported 250 miles north of Chungking, which is around 1,000 miles from Tangshan.