At least 304,000 people were killed globally by natural and man-made disasters in 2010, the highest figure since 1976, the Swiss Reinsurance Company said on Wednesday.

According to the world's leading reinsurance company, the death toll figure for 2009 was 15,000 people.

The earthquake in Haiti had the most devastating effect and claimed over 222,000 lives, Swiss Reinsurance said. Russia was rated second in the grim statistics, with about 56,000 people killed by the massive heat wave and forest fires last summer.

Floods in China and Pakistan saw a death toll of 6,000 people.

The reinsurance company said calamities of 2010 had caused a damage of $218 billion against $68 billion in 2009.

The company expects global economy statistics for 2011 to be undermined by a series of earthquakes. New Zealand's quake on February 22 has caused an estimated damage of $6-12 billion, and Japan's quake of March 11 has also caused massive damage yet to be estimated.

MOSCOW, March 29 (RIA Novosti)