1985 Mexico City Earthquake

Although the epicenter was 350 kilometers from Mexico City, the soft lake-bed sediments beneath the capital amplified seismic waves to devastating effect, causing mid-rise buildings to resonate and pancake-collapse. Over 400 buildings were destroyed and 3,000 more severely damaged, with the government's slow response catalyzing a powerful civil society movement. The disaster led to the creation of Mexico's modern building codes and one of the world's most advanced earthquake early warning systems.