List of earthquakes in 1991

Earthquakes in 1991

class=notpageimage| Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1991 4.0–5.9 magnitude 6.0–6.9 magnitude 7.0–7.9 magnitude 8.0+ magnitude
Strongest magnitude	7.6 Mw Costa Rica 7.6 Mw   Russia
Deadliest	6.8 Mw India 2,000 deaths
Total fatalities	3,498
Number by magnitude
9.0+	0
4.0–4.9	4,304
←  1990 1992  →

This is a list of earthquakes in 1991. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. All dates are listed according to UTC time.

By death toll

Rank	Death toll	Magnitude	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	2,000	6.8	India, Uttarakhand	IX (Violent)	10.3	October 19
2	848	6.9	Afghanistan, Badakshan	VII (Very Strong)	142.4	January 31
3	270	7.0	Georgia, Racha	IX (Violent)	17.2	April 29
4	127	7.6	Costa Rica, Limon	X (Extreme)	10.0	April 22
5	92	5.3	Peru, Department of Arequipa	VI (Strong)	5.0	July 23
6	53	7.1	Peru, Department of San Martín	VIII (Severe)	19.8	April 5
7	25	6.2	Guatemala, Chimaltenango Department	VII (Very Strong)	5.0	September 18
8	23	6.9	East Timor offshore	VII (Very Strong)	28.8	July 4
9	20	5.5	Iraq, Kurdistan Region	VI (Strong)	25.5	July 24
10	10	4.7	Yemen, Ibb	V (Moderate)	10.0	November 22

Listed are earthquakes with at least 10 dead.

By magnitude

Rank	Magnitude	Death toll	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	7.6	127	Costa Rica, Limon Province	X (Extreme)	10.0	April 22
1	7.6	0	Russia, Kuril Islands offshore	VI (Strong)	24.7	December 22
3	7.5	0	Indonesia, Gorontalo offshore	VII (Very Strong)	31.4	June 20
4	7.3	0	Argentina, Santiago del Estero	I (Not Felt)	558.0	June 23
5	7.2	0	Solomon Islands, Malango offshore	VII (Very Strong)	23.4	October 14
5	7.2	2	Colombia, Chocó offshore	IX (Violent)	21.3	November 19
5	7.2	0	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands offshore	I (Not Felt)	10.0	December 27
8	7.1	53	Peru, San Martín	VIII (Severe)	19.8	April 5
9	7.0	0	Myanmar, Sagaing	VIII (Severe)	19.7	January 5
9	7.0	0	Philippines, Mindanao offshore	VII (Very Strong)	23.9	February 18
9	7.0	270	Georgia, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti	IX (Violent)	17.2	April 29
9	7.0	0	Indonesia, Gorontalo offshore	VI (Strong)	33.0	May 19
9	7.0	0	Peru, Cusco	VII (Very Strong)	104.5	July 6
9	7.0	0	United States, offshore Alaska Peninsula	V (Moderate)	28.4	May 30
9	7.0	0	Tonga offshore	I (Not Felt)	265.5	June 9
9	7.0	0	United States, Oregon offshore	V (Moderate)	1.3	August 17
9	7.0	0	Fiji region offshore	I (Not Felt)	566.4	September 30

Listed are earthquakes with at least 7.0 magnitude.

By month

January

January

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw   Myanmar
Deadliest	6.9 Mw   Afghanistan 848 deaths
Total fatalities	848
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	12

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
1 [1]	Mexico, Colima offshore, 172 km southwest of Emiliano Zapata	6.3	35.0	I	-	-	-
2 [2]	United States, Nevada, 6 km southwest of Carson City	4.4	5.8	V	Minor damage was caused in Carson City.	-	-
5 [3]	Myanmar, Mandalay, 99 km northwest of Mogok	7.0	19.7	VIII	At least 32 buildings and 380 hectares of farmland were damaged in Thabeikkyin. Some landslides were also reported.	-	-
23 [4]	United States, Alaska, Rat Islands offshore	6.4	108.4	V	-	-	-
25 [5]	Indonesia, Papua offshore, 162 km northwest of Abepura	6.4	33.0	VI	-	-	-
31 [6]	Afghanistan, Badakshan, 77 km northwest Parun	6.9	142.4	VII	The 1991 Hindu Kush earthquake killed 848 people (545 in Afghanistan, 300 in Pakistan and 3 in Tajikistan), injured 200 and destroyed thousands of homes. Landslides also occurred.	848	200

February

February

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw   Philippines
Deadliest	3.8 Mw   France 9 deaths
Total fatalities	9
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	11

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
9 [7]	Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal offshore, 68 km southwest of Malango	6.9	10.0	VI	Some damage occurred in Honiara, where a tsunami of 4 cm was observed.	-	-
12 [8]	Turkey, Istanbul offshore, 18 km southwest of Kinali	4.8	10.0	IV	A few people were slightly injured and minor damage occurred in the Istanbul area.	-	3+
13 [9]	France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 6 km south of Claviere, Italy	3.8	5.0	IV	Nine people were killed by an avalanche which was triggered by the quake.	9	-
18 [10]	Philippines, Caraga offshore, 18 km east of Aras-asan	7.0	23.9	VII	-	-	-
21 [11]	Russia, offshore Bering Sea	6.7	20.2	IV	A tsunami was observed with heights of 30 cm (1 ft) in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.	-	-
25 [12]	China, Xinjiang, 118 km southwest of Aykol	6.0	20.6	VII	Three people were injured and at least 120 houses collapsed and 8,441 houses damaged in the Kalpin area. Ground cracks were also reported there.	-	3

March

March

Strongest magnitude	6.6 Mw   Russia
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	0
6.0–6.9	9

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
8 [13]	Russia, Kamchatka, 74 km northeast of Tilichiki	6.6	13.0	VIII	-	-	-
16 [14]	Costa Rica, Guanacaste, 15 km north of Nandayure	6.3	33.0	VI	-	-	-
25 [15]	China, Shanxi, 58 km southeast of Datong	5.4	10.0	VI	131 people were injured and 1,328 houses were damaged in Datong.	-	131

April

April

Strongest magnitude	7.6 Mw   Costa Rica
Deadliest	7.0 Mw   Georgia 270 deaths
Total fatalities	452
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	3
6.0–6.9	13

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
4 [16]	Peru, San Martín, 4 km northeast of Rioja	6.5	20.7	VII	This was a foreshock of the 7.1 earthquake which occurred a day later. Ten people were injured and fifteen houses were damaged.	-	10
5 [17]	Peru, San Martín, 11 km northeast of Rioja	7.1	19.8	VIII	The 1991 Alto Mayo earthquake killed at least 53 people, injured 252 and destroyed 8,063 homes in the Rioja-Moyobamba area.	53	252
5 [18]	Peru, Ica, 21 km southeast of Pampa de Tate	6.3	50.0	VI	Some damage was caused in Nazca.	-	-
6 [19]	Wallis and Futuna offshore, 203 km southeast of Mata-Utu	6.7	16.0	I	-	-	-
18 [20]	Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, Khatlon, 14 km southeast of Boshchorbogh	5.5	33.0	V	One person died and six were injured in the Kabodiyen District, where landslides occurred.	1	6
20 [21]	Afghanistan, Badakshan, 50 km south of Jurm	4.1	33.0	III	100 homes were damaged in Badakshan.	-	-
22 [22]	Costa Rica, Limón, 34 km south of Limón	7.6	10.0	X	The 1991 Limon earthquake claimed 48 lives in Costa Rica and 79 in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Roads and bridges between Limón and Sixaola were all destroyed. 759 people were also injured.	127	759
24 [23]	Turkey, Erzurum, 33 km west of Tekman	4.5	33.0	IV	One person was killed, three were injured and some houses were damaged in Erzurum Province.	1	3
29 [24]	Georgia, Racha, 22 km northwest of Java	7.0	17.2	IX	The 1991 Racha earthquake was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the Caucasus region. 270 people were killed and 1,000 were injured.	270	1,000

May

May

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw   Indonesia 7.0 Mw   United States
Deadliest	5.6 Mw   Georgia 3 deaths
Total fatalities	4
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	10

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
1 [25]	United States, Alaska, 33 km west of Petersville	6.3	115.1	V	Minor damage occurred in Anchorage.	-	-
3 [26]	Japan, Bonin Islands offshore	6.7	433.1	I	-	-	-
3 [27]	Georgia, Racha, 19 km northeast of Ambrolauri	5.6	10.0	VII	It was an aftershock of the 1991 Racha earthquake. Three people were killed by landslides.	3	-
4 [28]	Panama, Bocas del Toro offshore, 16 km northeast of Changuinola	6.2	10.0	VIII	36 people were injured and 900 people were left homeless in Changuinola.	-	36
15 [29]	Georgia, Racha, 7 km southwest of Oni	4.9	14.0	VI	A mudslide destroyed all 45 houses in the Khekheti area. It was an aftershock of the 1991 Racha earthquake.	-	-
17 [30]	Papua New Guinea, East Sepik, 22 km southwest of Ambunti	6.4	59.0	VI	-	-	-
19 [31]	Indonesia, Gorontalo offshore, 69 km north of Gorontalo	7.0	33.0	VI	-	-	-
21 [32]	Indonesia, Maluku offshore, 106 km north of Baukau, Timor Leste	6.6	18.4	VI	-	-	-
26 [33]	Malaysia, Sabah, 13 km southeast of Ranau	5.1	33.0	V	One person died of a heart attack and light damage occurred in Ranau.	1	-
30 [34]	United States, Alaska offshore, 71 km southeast of King Cove	7.0	28.4	V	-	-	-

June

June

Strongest magnitude	7.5 Mw   Indonesia
Deadliest	6.3 Mw   Georgia 8 deaths
Total fatalities	10
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	3
6.0–6.9	6

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
7 [35]	Indonesia, offshore Flores Sea, 160 km northeast of Maumere	6.9	536.4	I	-	-	-
9 [36]	Tonga, Tongatapu offshore, 144 km northwest of Nuku‘alofa	7.0	265.5	I	-	-	-
10 [37]	Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge	6.4	9.7	I	-	-	-
15 [38]	Georgia, Racha, 9 km northeast of Java	6.3	9.4	VIII	It was an aftershock of the 1991 Racha earthquake. Eight people were killed, 200 were injured and further damage was caused.	8	200
15 [39]	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands offshore	6.6	51.7	I	-	-	-
20 [40]	Indonesia, Gorontalo offshore, 79 km northwest of Gorontalo	7.5	31.4	VII	Over 1,500 houses were damaged in Gorontalo.	-	-
23 [41]	Argentina, Santiago del Estero, 27 km northwest of El Hoyo	7.3	558.0	I	-	-	-
28 [42]	United States, California, 13 km northeast of Sierra Madre	5.8	8.0	VII	After the 1991 Sierra Madre earthquake , one person was killed and another died due to a heart attack. 100 people were injured and many buildings were damaged.	2	100

July

July

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw   Peru
Deadliest	5.3 Mw   Peru 92 deaths
Total fatalities	137
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	6

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
2 [43]	Indonesia, Sumatra offshore, 58 km southwest of Padang	6.4	53.8	V	Minor damage was caused in Padang.	-	-
4 [44]	East Timor offshore, 81 km northwest Maubara	6.9	28.8	VII	The 1991 Kalabahi earthquakes destroyed over 1,100 homes, killing 23 and injuring 181.	23	181
6 [45]	Peru, Cusco, 15 km west of Lares	7.0	104.5	VII	Some damage occurred in Cusco.	-	-
12 [46]	Romania, Timis, 2 km south of Livezile	5.6	10.7	VIII	Two people died and thirty were injured after several houses collapsed. Some damage was also caused in Serbia (formerly part of Yugoslavia).	2	30
13 [47]	United States, Oregon offshore, 103 km west of Pistol River	6.9	11.0	VI	-	-	-
14 [48]	Afghanistan, Badakshan, 53 km southwest of Ashkasham	6.7	212.9	V	-	-	-
23 [49]	Peru, Arequipa, 5 km southeast of Chivay	5.3	5.0	VI	At least 92 people were killed and thirty were injured in the earthquake despite its moderate magnitude, including eighty who were missing and presumed dead.	92	30
24 [50]	Iraq, Kurdistan, 30 km southeast of Aqrah	5.5	25.5	VI	At least twenty people killed and many were injured. 100 homes were destroyed.	20	Many

August

August

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw   United States
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	8

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
6 [51]	Japan, Chiba offshore, 19 km east of Hasaki	6.0	28.5	V	-	-	-
8 [52]	Indonesia, Gorontalo offshore, 67 km northwest of Gorontalo	6.7	12.4	VII	It was an aftershock of the 7.5 earthquake that occurred in June.	-	-
14 [53]	Vanuatu, Torba offshore, 31 km north of Sola	6.5	13.8	VII	-	-	-
17 [54]	United States, California, 30 km southwest of Scotia	6.0	8.3	VIII	Damage and landslides occurred in Petrolia.	-	-
17 [55]	United States, Oregon offshore, 136 km southwest of Brookings	7.0	1.3	V	-	-	-

September

September

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw   Fiji
Deadliest	6.2 Mw   Guatemala 25 deaths
Total fatalities	25
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	6

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
18 [56]	Guatemala, Chimaltenago, 4 km southeast of Patzún	6.2	5.0	VII	25 people died and 200 were injured. Landslides and extensive damage occurred.	25	200
28 [57]	Papua New Guinea, East New Britain, 95 km southeast of Kimbe	6.6	28.0	VI	-	-	-
30 [58]	Fiji region offshore	7.0	566.4	I	-	-	-

October

October

Strongest magnitude	7.2 Mw   Solomon Islands
Deadliest	6.8 Mw   India 2,000 deaths
Total fatalities	2,000
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	11

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
12 [59]	Vanuatu offshore, 96 km west of Sola	6.3	43.8	V	-	-	-
14 [60]	Solomon Islands offshore, 155 km west northwest of Malango	7.2	23.4	VII	-	-	-
18 [61]	Tonga offshore, south of the Fiji Islands	6.5	197.5	I	-	-	-
19 [62]	India, Uttarakhand, 32 km east of Uttarkashi	6.8	10.3	IX	The 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake damaged or destroyed 18,000 buildings throughout Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and New Delhi. Landslides and a 30-meter deep crack were formed in Uttarkashi. 2,000 people were killed and 1,800 were injured.	2,000	1,800

November

November

Strongest magnitude	7.2 Mw   Colombia
Deadliest	4.7 Mw   Yemen 10 deaths
Total fatalities	13
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	13

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
1 [63]	New Zealand, Kermadec Islands offshore	6.6	21.4	I	-	-	-
4 [64]	Iran, Khuzestan, 8 km northwest of Behbahan	5.6	38.5	V	51 people were injured and 290 houses were damaged or destroyed in Behbahan.	-	51
10 [65]	Iran, Khuzestan, 2 km southeast of Behbahan	5.0	43.6	IV	Fifteen people were injured and further damage was caused in Behbahan.	-	15
13 [66]	Philippines, Caraga offshore, 4 km southeast of Hinatuan	6.8	35.9	VII	Minor damage was caused.	-	-
19 [67]	Colombia, Chocó offshore, 33 km northwest of Santa Genoveva de Docordó	7.2	21.3	IX	Two people were killed and 28 homes were damaged in Chocó. Minor damage was also caused in Cali.	2	-
24 [68]	Yemen, Ibb, 7 km northwest of Dhi as Sufal	4.7	10.0	V	Ten people were killed and 39 were injured. 17 houses were destroyed and 87 damaged.	10	39
26 [69]	Japan, Hokkaido offshore, 33 km southeast of Shizunai-furukawachō	6.4	56.3	VI	-	-	-
28 [70]	Iran, Gilan, 26 km northeast of Manjil	5.6	15.7	VI	Damage occurred in the epicentral area. One person died and seventy were injured.	1	70

December

December

Strongest magnitude	7.6 Mw   Russia
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	15

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
11 [71]	New Caledonia offshore, southeast of the Loyalty Islands	6.5	36.6	I	-	-	-
13 [72]	Russia, Kuril Islands offshore, 290 km east of Kuril'sk	6.6	30.0	I	These were foreshocks of the 7.6 earthquake on December 22.	-	-
13 [73]	Russia, Kuril Islands offshore, 258 km east of Kuril'sk	6.8	27.2	III		-	-
22 [74]	Russia, Kuril Islands offshore, 247 km east of Kuril'sk	7.6	24.7	VI	-	-	-
27 [75]	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands offshore	7.2	10.0	I	-	-	-
27 [76]	Mongolia, Khövsgöl, 64 km northeast of Kungurtug, Russia	6.4	13.5	VII	-	-	-

References

1. "M 6.3 - 172 km SSW of Emiliano Zapata, Mexico".
2. "M 4.4 - 6 km NNE of Carson City, Nevada".
3. "M 7.0 - 99 km NW of Mogok, Myanmar".
4. "M 6.4 - Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska".
5. "M 6.4 - 162 km WNW of Abepura, Indonesia".
6. "M 6.9 - 77 km NW of Parun, Afghanistan".
7. "M 6.9 - 68 km WSW of Malango, Solomon Islands".
8. "M 4.8 - 18 km SW of Kinali, Turkey".
9. "M 3.8 - 6 km S of Claviere, Italy".
10. "M 7.0 - 18 km E of Aras-asan, Philippines".
11. "M 6.7 - Bering Sea".
12. "M 6.0 - 118 km WSW of Aykol, China".
13. "M 6.6 - 74 km NE of Tilichiki, Russia".
14. "M 6.3 - 15 km N of Nandayure, Costa Rica".
15. "M 5.4 - 58 km ESE of Datong, China".
16. "M 6.5 - 4 km ENE of Rioja, Peru".
17. "M 7.1 - 11 km NE of Rioja, Peru".
18. "M 6.3 - 21 km ESE of Pampa de Tate, Peru".
19. "M 6.7 - 203 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna".
20. "M 5.5 - 14 km ESE of Boshchorbogh, Tajikistan".
21. "M 4.1 - 50 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan".
22. USGS. "M 7.6 - Costa Rica". United States Geological Survey . Retrieved June 22, 2017.
23. "M 4.5 - 33 km W of Tekman, Turkey".
24. "M 7.0 - 22 km WNW of Java, Georgia".
25. "M 6.3 - Central Alaska".
26. "M 6.7 - Bonin Islands, Japan region".
27. "M 5.6 - 19 km NNE of Ambrolauri, Georgia".
28. "M 6.2 - 16 km NE of Changuinola, Panama".
29. "M 4.9 - 7 km WSW of Oni, Georgia".
30. "M 6.4 - 22 km SSW of Ambunti, Papua New Guinea".
31. "M 7.0 - 69 km N of Gorontalo, Indonesia".
32. "M 6.6 - 106 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste".
33. "M 5.1 - 13 km SE of Ranau, Malaysia".
34. "M 7.0 - 71 km SE of King Cove, Alaska".
35. "M 6.9 - 160 km NNE of Maumere, Indonesia".
36. "M 7.0 - 144 km NW of Nuku'alofa, Tonga".
37. "M 6.4 - northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge".
38. "M 6.3 - 9 km NE of Java, Georgia".
39. "M 6.6 - South Sandwich Islands region".
40. "M 7.5 - 79 km NNW of Gorontalo, Indonesia".
41. "M 7.3 - 27 km NNW of El Hoyo, Argentina".
42. "M 5.8 - 13km NNE of Sierra Madre, CA".
43. "M 6.4 - 58 km WSW of Padang, Indonesia".
44. "M 6.9 - 81 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste".
45. "M 7.0 - 15 km W of Lares, Peru".
46. "M 5.6 - 2 km S of Livezile, Romania".
47. "M 6.9 - 103 km W of Pistol River, Oregon".
48. "M 6.7 - 53 km SW of Ashk?sham, Afghanistan".
49. "M 5.3 - 5 km SSE of Chivay, Peru".
50. "M 5.5 - 30 km SSE of 'Aqrah, Iraq".
51. "M 6.0 - 19 km E of Hasaki, Japan".
52. "M 6.7 - 67 km NW of Gorontalo, Indonesia".
53. "M 6.5 - 31 km N of Sola, Vanuatu".
54. "M 6.0 - 30 km SSW of Scotia, California".
55. "M 7.0 - 136 km WSW of Brookings, Oregon".
56. "M 6.2 - 4 km SE of Patzún, Guatemala".
57. "M 6.6 - 95 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea".
58. "M 7.0 - Fiji region".
59. "M 6.3 - 96 km W of Sola, Vanuatu".
60. "M 7.2 - 155 km WNW of Malango, Solomon Islands".
61. "M 6.5 - south of the Fiji Islands".
62. "M 6.8 - 32 km E of Uttarkashi, India".
63. "M 6.6 - Kermadec Islands, New Zealand".
64. "M 5.6 - 8 km NNW of Behbahan, Iran".
65. "M 5.0 - 2 km SSE of Behbahan, Iran".
66. "M 6.8 - 4 km ESE of Hinatuan, Philippines".
67. "M 7.2 - 33 km NNW of Santa Genoveva de Docordó, Colombia".
68. "M 4.7 - 7 km NW of Dh? as Suf?l, Yemen".
69. "M 6.4 - 33 km SSE of Shizunai-furukawachi, Japan".
70. "M 5.6 - 26 km NE of Manjil, Iran".
71. "M 6.5 - southeast of the Loyalty Islands".
72. "M 6.6 - 290 km E of Kuril'sk, Russia".
73. "M 6.8 - 258 km E of Kuril'sk, Russia".
74. "M 7.6 - 247 km E of Kuril'sk, Russia".
75. "M 7.2 - South Sandwich Islands region".
76. "M 6.4 - 64 km NE of Kungurtug, Russia".