People can't be shaken to death by an earthquake. Some movies show scenes with the ground suddenly opening up and people falling into fiery pits, but this just doesn't happen in real life. These men barely escaped when the front of the Anchorage J.C. Penny's collapsed during the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. One side of this Anchorage street dropped drastically during the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. These buildings in Japan toppled when the soil underwent liquefaction.
Buildings can even sink into the ground if soil liquefaction occurs.
When the water and soil are mixed, the ground becomes very soft and acts similar to quicksand. If liquefaction occurs under a building, it may start to lean, tip over, or sink several feet. The ground firms up again after the earthquake has past and the water has settled back down to its usual place deeper in the ground. Liquefaction is a hazard in areas that have groundwater near the surface and sandy soil. Buildings can also be damaged by strong surface waves making the ground heave and lurch.