January 7, 1725 Earthquake: Trujillo, Ancash, Lima, Peru
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Trujillo, Ancash, Lima, Peru on January 7, 1725 at 04:25 UTC, 60 km below the surface. It killed 1,500 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- January 7, 1725
- Time
- 04:25 UTC
- Place
- Trujillo, Ancash, Lima, Peru
- Magnitude
- 7.7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 60 km (37 mi)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 9.000° S, 79.000° W
- Country
- Peru
The toll
- Deaths
- 1,500
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
January 6, 1725 at 23:25 [local time, 04:25 UTC]. A notable seismic movement caused various damage in Trujillo, Peru (8.11 S, 79.03 W). In the snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera Blanca a glacial lake was disrupted, overflowing and wiping out the village of Ancash (9.5 S, 77.75 W) near Yungay, killing 1500 people. The shock was felt in Lima. (reference #1111)
January 7, 1725, 04:15 UTC, 9.2 S, 79.3 W, depth 60 km, intensity IX. (reference #1208)
January 7, 1725, 04:25 UTC, 9 S, 79 W, depth 40 km, magnitude 7.69, intensity VIII. (reference #1221)
January 6, 1725, 11:15 [local time], 11 S, 78 W, intensity VIII at Barranca (10.7 S, 77.7 W), Huaura (11 S, 77.6 W), Cochas (10.6 S, 77.5 W), Ambar (10.7 S, 77.3 W), Sayan (11.1 S, 77.2 W); intensity VII at Huarmey (10.1 S, 78.2 W), Ocros (10.4 S, 77.4 W), Cajacay (10.2 S, 77.4 W), Cajatambo (10.5 S, 77 W), Canta (11.4 S, 75.6 W), Casma (8.5 S, 77.4 W), Huaraz (9.5 S, 77.5 W), Yungay (9.2 S, 77.8 W), Huacho (11.1 S, 77.6 W), intensity VI at Lima (12.1 S, 77 W), Santa (9 S, 78.6 W), Trujillo (8.1 S, 79 W), intensity V at Cochucos (8.3 S, 77.9 W). (reference #1211)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 31, 1970, Northern, Pisco, Chiclayo, Peru
- November 10, 1946, Jocaibamba,cerro Angaschaj,cerro Sillapata, Peru
- February 14, 1619, Trujillo, Piura, Santa, Peru
- October 17, 1966, Lima,huacho,huaura, Chancay,supe,san Nicolas, Peru
- February 21, 1996, Chimbote, Callao, Northern, Peru
- April 18, 1962, Casma,huaraz,quiruvilca,trujillo, Peru
- October 2, 1987, Santaog DE Chuco, Trujillo, Chimbote, Peru
- June 7, 2020, Chimbote, Coast, Peru
- January 11, 1986, Huarmey, Casma, Huarax, Chimbote, Peru
- September 24, 1963, Huayllacayan,cajacay,malyas,malvas,huaraz, Peru
- June 18, 1678, Lima,salinas-Huaura,lima,callao,chancay, Peru
- August 21, 1985, Chimbote, Coast, Peru
- February 14, 1658, Trujillo, Peru
- September 3, 1967, Off Coast, Peru
More
Significant earthquakes of 1725The 1700sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 1230.