List of Major Indian Earthquakes

India has suffered some of the greatest earthquakes in the world with magnitude exceeding 8.0. For instance, in a short span of about 50 years, four such earthquakes occurred: Assam earthquake of 1897 (magnitude 8.7), Kangra earthquake of 1905 (magnitude 8.6), Bihar-Nepal earthquake of 1934 (magnitude 8.4)  and the Assam-Tibet earthquake of 1950 (magnitude 8.7).  Here are some important notes:

Katch Earthquake of 1819

This 8.3 magnitude earthquake took place on the west coast of India and caused ground motion which was perceptible as far as Calcutta. It created a fault scarp of about 16 mile long and about 10 foot high which was later named as “Allah Bund”.

Assam earthquake of 1897

This 8.7 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage in an area of about 500 km radius and caused extensive surface distortions in the area.  The earthquake caused extensive liquefaction in the alluviated plains of Brahmaputra.

Bihar – Nepal Earthquake of 1934

This 8.4 magnitude earthquake caused wide-spread damage in the northern Bihar and in Nepal. Due to extensive liquefaction, most buildings tilted and slumped bodily into the ground in an area of about 300 km long and of irregular width. This area was termed as the “slump belt”.

Koyna Earthquake Of 1967

This 6.5 magnitude earthquake occurred close to 103 metre concrete gravity dam at Koyna. Prior to this earthquake, the area used to be considered aseismic. However, after the construction of dam and filling up of reservoir in 1962, the seismic activity increased significantly.

The main shock of December 10, 1967 caused widespread damage, killing about 200 persons and injuring more than 1500 persons. This was an example of the reservoir-induced seismicity in India.

The dam, designed  keeping in mind the possible seismic activity, performed quite well with only nominal damage to the dam. This earthquake lead to the revision of Indian seismic zone map wherein the area around Koyna was brought in zone IV from zone I, and seismic zone for Bombay was upgraded from zone I to zone III.

Uttarkashi Earthquake Of 1991

This 6.6 magnitude earthquake shook the districts of Uttarkashi, Tehri, and Chamoli  of current Uttarakhand.

Killari (Latur) earthquake of 1993

This was a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that shook the area near village Killari in Latur district killing about 8,000 persons. Until this earthquake the area was considered non-seismic and placed in the lowest seismic zone (zone I) by the Indian code (IS:1893-1984).

The affected area did not have any modern towns, modern buildings or major industries. In some of the villages more than 30% of the population was killed. This earthquake will be known for outstanding rescue, relief and rehabilitation.

Jabalpur Earthquake Of 1997

This magnitude 6.0 earthquake is only example of such earthquakes which occurred close to a major Indian city in recent times.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea mega thrust earthquake with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, and it is known as Sumatra–Andaman earthquake or 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami or South Asian tsunami, Indonesian tsunami, and the Boxing Day tsunami. It killed 230,000 people in fourteen countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 meters.

Sikkim Earthquake 2011

The September 18, 2011 earthquake of magnitude 6.9 occurred near the boundary between the India and Eurasia plates at India Nepal border affecting Sikkim state in India. This earthquake was unique for some reasons. Most of the earthquakes in India occur because of the thrust faults formed due to under-thrusting of the Indian plate below the Eurasian plate. However, the Sikkim Earthquake is thought to have occurred between two transverse faults represented by Tista and Gangtok lineaments where two segments of Himalayas have moved in a horizontal direction.