The most powerful earthquakes ever to hit Europe

Nearly 300 people lost their lives when a devastating earthquake struck central Italy on August 24th, 2016. It measured 6.2 on the moment magnitude scale with its epicentre near Accumoli. Even though deadly seismic events are not as common in Europe as they are in other parts of the globe, powerful earthquakes do occur relatively frequently. The chart below was featured in the Independent's coverage of the disaster in Italy and it outlines the strongest known earthquakes in European history.