In a matter of minutes, the bustling city of Tangshan was reduced to rubble, its residents trapped beneath the wreckage. On July 28, 1976, a massive earthquake, measuring between 7.8 and 8.2 in moment magnitude, struck the city in the People's Republic of China. The devastating quake lasted a mere 23 seconds, but its impact was catastrophic, claiming the lives of 242,769 people and injuring 164,851 more.