2022 Batang Kali landslide
A landslide occurred in the early hours of 16 December 2022 near the Malaysian town of Batang Kali, Selangor, displacing 450,000 m3 (16 million cu ft) of soil and burying campsites at an organic farm. The accident trapped 92 people under the collapsed slope; most were campers from the farm. 31 people were killed and 61 were rescued, with 8 people requiring hospitalisation.
Yokohama Municipal Subway opened
Yokohama Municipal Subway is the rapid transit network in the city of Yokohama, Japan, south of Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is operated by Yokohama City Transportation Bureau as two lines, though three continuous lines exist. It consists of three lines: Line 1, Line 3 and 4. Line 1 and 3 are operated as a single line, nicknamed the Blue Line. Line 4 is nicknamed the Green Line. The Blue Line is operated as an integrated route of 40.4 kilometres (25.1 mi) between Shonandai Station in Fujisawa and Azamino Station. The Blue Line is Japan's second-longest subway line, after the 40.7 km (25.3 mi) Toei Oedo Line in Tokyo. The Green Line is 13.1 km (8.1 mi) long.
Sapporo Municipal Subway opened
The Sapporo Municipal Subway is a mostly-underground rubber-tyred rapid transit system in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau, it is the only subway system on the island of Hokkaido. The system consists of three lines: the green Namboku Line (North-South line), orange Tozai Line (East-West line), and blue Toho Line (North East Line). The first, the Namboku Line, was opened in 1971 prior to the 1972 Winter Olympics. The three lines all connect at Odori Station and with the JR Hokkaido main lines at Sapporo Station. At Odori and Susukino stations, it connects to the streetcar (tram) above. The system has a total length of 48 km (30 mi) with 46 stations.
1920 Haiyuan earthquake
The 1920 Haiyuan earthquake occurred on December 16 in Haiyuan County, Ningxia Province, Republic of China at 19:05:53. It was also called the 1920 Gansu earthquake because Ningxia was a part of Gansu Province when the earthquake occurred. It caused destruction in the Lijunbu-Haiyuan-Ganyanchi area and was assigned the maximum intensity on the Mercalli intensity scale (XII Extreme). About 258,707-273,407 died, making it one of the most fatal earthquakes in China, in turn making it one of the worst disasters in China by death toll.
1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were a series of intense intraplate earthquakes beginning with an initial earthquake of moment magnitude 7.2-8.2 on December 16, 1811, followed by a moment magnitude 7.4 aftershock on the same day. Two additional earthquakes of similar magnitude followed in January and February 1812. They remain the most powerful earthquakes to hit the contiguous United States east of the Rocky Mountains in recorded history.
1575 Valdivia earthquake
The 1575 Valdivia earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 8.5 of on the surface wave magnitude scale and an estimated magnitude of 9.0+ on the Moment magnitude scale and led to the flood of Valdivia, Chile.
