The Basel earthquake of 1356 is not only the strongest quake documented in Central Europe north of the Alps by written records. According to one estimate 1,500 to 2,000 people could lose their lives in Switzerland alone, losses up to 60 million Euro are conceivable. The chemical and pharmaceutical industries, nuclear power plants and countless tanks containing petrol, diesel and kerosene harbour additional risks. About half a million people live in the Switzerland-France-Germany border triangle. Nowadays an earthquake of this magnitude would have much more serious consequences. Between 100 and 300 people are estimated to have lost their lives. The amount of property damage was enormous the number of deaths was comparatively low.
Even in Bern, 71 kilometres away, a church vault collapsed. The main quake did not arrive until 10 pm, when it destroyed or badly damaged many buildings. By this time at the latest, many people fled the town, saving their lives. When the bells for dinner rang at around 5 pm the earth shook four times.
Between lunch and afternoon snack at about 4 pm a first tremor shook the town with its 7,000 inhabitants. The inhabitants of Basel had been warned on this particular October 18th.
