query: What was the deadliest earthquake to ever hit Italy?
passage: 1908 Messina earthquake
The earthquake almost levelled Messina. At least 91% of structures in Messina were destroyed or irreparably damaged and some 75,000 people were killed in the city and suburbs.[12][13] Reggio Calabria and other locations in Calabria also suffered heavy damage, with some 25,000 people killed.[12] Reggio's historic centre was almost completely eradicated.The number of casualties is based on the 1901 and 1911 census data. It was the most destructive earthquake ever to strike Europe.[14] The ground shook for some 30 to 40 seconds,[15][16] and the damage was widespread, with destruction felt within a 300-kilometer (186-mile) radius.[17]
passage: List of earthquakes in 1931
This is a list of earthquakes in 1931. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused deaths, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. In a stark contrast to 1930, many large and destructive earthquakes occurred during 1931. The largest and deadliest event was the magnitude 7.9 earthquake which caused major devastation to China in August. New Zealand saw its worst natural disaster in February. Iran and Nicaragua had many deaths from earthquakes in the first half of the year. Other interesting events happened in Texas and the United Kingdom with the largest quakes for these areas hitting this year.