Killer quake anniversary

TOMORROW marks the 250th anniversary of the 1755 earthquake that struck the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, killing around 100,000 people. The quake was followed by a tsunami and a six-day fire, resulting in near total destruction of the city. The shockwaves of the earthquake, which geologists now rate as a magnitude nine on the Richter scale, were felt as far north as Finland, and in North Africa. Tsunamis up to 20 m in height struck Martinique and Barbados. Of a Lisbon population of 275,000, up to 90,000 were killed, while another 10,000 were killed in Morocco.