What is the name of the 2008 earthquake in China that killed nearly 70,000 people?

The 2008 earthquake in China that killed nearly 70,000 people was the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Also called the Wenchuan earthquake, it struck on May 12, 2008, in Sichuan Province and measured about magnitude 7.9 on the moment magnitude scale.

The earthquake caused catastrophic destruction across central China. More than 68,000 people were confirmed dead in Sichuan, with additional deaths elsewhere, while hundreds of thousands were injured and millions were left homeless. Landslides and other earthquake-triggered hazards greatly increased the death toll and damaged roads, schools, homes, and infrastructure.

It was China's deadliest earthquake since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which killed at least 242,000 people. The 2008 event is distinct from the 2013 Lushan earthquake, which also occurred in Sichuan but was a separate, later earthquake. “Wenchuan earthquake” refers to the same 2008 disaster, named after the county near its epicenter.