May 16 (Reuters) - China struggled to bury its dead and help tens of thousands of injured and homeless on Friday when a powerful aftershock brought new havoc four days after the most devastating earthquake to hit the country in three decades.

China put the death toll at 21,500 on Friday but has said it expects it to exceed 50,000.

Following is a list of the deadliest earthquakes on record.

Year Location Number of fatalities Magnitude

1556 China, Shansi 830,000 n/a

1976 China, Tangshan 270,500 7.5

2004 Off Sumatra west coast 232,010 9.15

1138 Syria, Aleppo 230,000 n/a

1927 China, near Xining 200,000 n/a

c.856 Iran, Damghan 200,000 n/a

1920 China, Gansu 200,000 8.6

c.893 Iran, Ardabil 150,000 n/a

1923 Japan, Kanto 143,000* n/a

1948 Turkmenistan 110,000 7.3

1908 Italy, Messina est.70,000-100,000 7.2

1290 China, Chihli 100,000 n/a

1667 Azerbaijan, Shemakha 80,000 n/a

1727 Iran, Tabriz 77,000 n/a

2005 Pakistan, Kashmir 73,276 7.6

1755 Portugal, Lisbon 70,000 n/a

1932 China, Gansu 70,000 7.6

1970 Peru 66,000 7.9

1268 Turkey, Cilicia 60,000 n/a

1693 Italy, Sicily 60,000 n/a

1935 Pakistan, Quetta 30,000-60,000 7.5

1783 Italy, Calabria 50,000 n/a

1990 Iran, Gilan 35,000 7.7

2003 Iran, Bam 31,000 6.6**

2008 China, Sichuan 21,500*** 7.9

2001 India 19,700 7.7

1999 Turkey 17,800 7.4

* Many thousands were killed in the Great Tokyo Fire caused by the earthquake.

** Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency put the Bam quake at 6.3 on the Richter Scale.

*** Sichuan Vice-Governor said on May 16 the death toll stood at over 21,500, but added the toll was expected to rise to more than 50,000.

Source:Reuters; United States Geological Survey, (www.usgs.gov);

For main story please click on [nPEK336919]

(Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; Additional Writing by Jijo Jacob; Editing by Valerie Lee)

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