10 Worst Earthquakes to have rocked India in the past

The worst earthquakes in India – There is a reason why the Indian subcontinent has a history of earthquakes. It is because the Indian plate drives into Asia at a rate of nearly 47 mm/year.

The worst earthquakes in India

Below is a list of some major earthquakes that have occurred in India till now. This includes some of those that had their epicentre outside of India but still caused damage and casualties in India.

April 2015 Nepal Earthquake

This earthquake occurred at 11:41 IST with a magnitude of 7.8. Its epicentre was at Barpak, Gorkha with a depth of approximately 8.2 km. This natural disaster also triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest and an avalanche in the Langtang Valley. This earthquake killed nearly 9000 people and injured around 22000 people. Its tremors were also felt in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Sikkim, NCR, and Karnataka. It recorded minor damages in Odisha but caused extensive damages in Bihar.

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May 2015 Nepal Earthquake

This earthquake occurred in Nepal at 12:35 IST with a magnitude of 7.3. Its epicentre was on the border of Dolakha and Sindhupal chowk in Nepal. Within a few minutes, another earthquake hit Nepal with its epicentre in Ramechhap at a 6.3 magnitude. India recorded a death toll of 62 and 200 casualties.

October 2015 Hindu Kush Earthquake

This earthquake was a 7.5 magnitude earthquake which struck South Asia on 26th October in 2015 at 14:39 IST. Its epicenter was in Afghanistan with a depth of 212.5 km. This earthquake killed 4 people in Jammu and Kashmir, India and all of the trains plying on tracks of Delhi Metro were stopped at the time. Mobile phone services also choked down for several hours because of the high voice traffic.

2011 Sikkim Earthquake

This earthquake, also known as the 2011 Himalayan earthquake, occurred at 18:10 IST on 18th September 2011 with a magnitude of 6.9. It entered within the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, near the border of Nepal and from Sikkim in India. This earthquake killed around 111 people and also reported deaths in Nepal. Structural damage occurred in Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Tibet.

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The worst earthquakes in India

2001 Gujarat Earthquake

This earthquake, also called the Bhuj earthquake occurred on 26 January 2001. Yes, it was India’s 52nd Republic Day and the earthquake occurred at 8:46 IST. Its epicenter was in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat. This disaster killed nearly 13805 – 20023 people and injured 167000 people in total. It also destroyed nearly 340000 buildings.

1941 Andaman Islands Earthquake

This earthquake struck Andaman Islands on 26 June 1941 with a magnitude of 7.7 to 8.1.  Although most details about this earthquake are vague, it caused severe damage in the Andaman Islands where almost 8000 people were killed.

1934 Bihar Earthquake

This earthquake was probably the worst earthquake in the history of India. Its magnitude was recorded at 8.0 and it occurred at 14:13 IST on 15 January 1934, causing widespread damage in Bihar and Nepal. With a death toll between 10700 – 12000 in Bihar alone, the earthquake also caused severe damage to three major towns of Nepal, namely – Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan.

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The worst earthquakes in India

1897 Assam Earthquake

This Earthquake occurred on 12 June in Assam at 17:15 IST with a magnitude of 8.0. It caused 1542 casualties and heavy damage to property in Calcutta, Ahmedabad, and Peshawar. It also led to a Shillong Plateau being thrust violently upwards by around 11 meters.

1881 Nicobar Islands Earthquake

With an epicenter beneath Car Nicobar, this earthquake occurred at 9:49 IST. It occurred in 2 separate ruptures and estimated a magnitude of 7.9. Not only this, it also triggered a tsunami around the Bay of Bengal. Although the earthquake did not cause any casualties, damages were caused on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

1819 Rann of Kutch Earthquake

This earthquake occurred on 16 June 1819 at 18:45 IST with a magnitude ranging between 7.7 to 8.2. This quake also triggered a tsunami, causing around 1543 deaths.

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