March 2, 1825 Earthquake: Blida, Algiers, Algeria
An earthquake struck Blida, Algiers, Algeria on March 2, 1825 at 07:00 UTC. It killed 7,000 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
- March 2, 1825
- Time
- 07:00 UTC
- Place
- Blida, Algiers, Algeria
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 36.400° N, 2.800° E
- Country
- Algeria
The toll
- Deaths
- 7,000
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
- Houses destroyed
- Very many (over 1,000)
- Houses damaged
- Very many (over 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.
March 2, 1825, 07h, 36.4 N, 2.8 E, intensity X=XI. Disastrous earthquake in Algeria, the town of Blida was completely destroyed, several thousands of inhabitants perished, a village was buried between two-hills, at Alger V (RK) or great damage reported by (MMC), felt throughout the mountains of the "Petit" Atlas (RK, GA, MMC, GS), 11 very violent aftershocks till March 6. (reference #1099)
March 2, 1825, 10:42 a.m. local time, Algiers and the country about, lying in a line about N.E. to S.W., or from Algiers towards the Canary Isles. Violent undulatory motion, lasting 55 seconds. During the next four days ten more shocks of less violence were felt. Some hours before this first shock all the springs and wells dried up. Great damage was done at Algiers, and the town of Blida, eight miles to the S.W., was almost entirely ruined, 7000 (or according to others, 15,000) persons losing their lives. Near Blida also two hills are said to have been thrown together, and a village buried between them. (reference #497)
March 2, 1825, 07h, 36 deg 30 min N, 2 deg 54 min E, Blida, intensity IX. (reference #1193)
March 2, 1825, Algiers and the country lying towards the Canary Islands, intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)
March 2, 1825, Blida, Algeria, 7000 deaths. (reference #1051)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 1716, Algiers, Algeria
- October 10, 1980, Northern, Algeria
- May 21, 2003, Algiers, Boumerdes, Reghia, Thenia, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, Orleansville, Algeria
- January 2, 1867, El Affroun, Algeria
- February 21, 1960, Melouza, Algeria
- January 15, 1891, Bourava, Gouraya, Algeria
- December 3, 1885, M'Sila, Algeria
- October 29, 1989, Algiers, Cherchell, Tipaza, Algeria
- June 24, 1910, Masqueray, Kabylia, Algeria
- May 27, 2003, Algiers, Boumerdes, Reghaia, Algeria
- August 1, 2014, Algiers, Algeria
- January 1, 1965, M'Sila, Algeria
- May 14, 2010, Beni Yellman, Northern, Algeria
- January 26, 1987, Mohammadia, Qued, Fodda, Tissemsilt, Algeria
More
Significant earthquakes of 1825The 1800sRecent 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 1692.