March 9, 1861 Earthquake: SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck SW. Sumatra, Indonesia on March 9, 1861, 20 km below the surface. It killed 950 people, counting the tsunami it caused.
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 9, 1861
- Place
- SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 20 km (12 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 0.009° N, 98.000° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000); 950 with its tsunami and other effects
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with its tsunami and other effects
- Houses destroyed
- 96
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.
1861, March 9, 22:00 [local time]. Apparently the strongest aftershock of the earthquake of February 16 occurred. On the Batu Islands, it was preceded and accompanied by an underground roar and caused more serious effects than the main earthquake. The shock was rather strong at Airbangis and very perceptible at Padang. The earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami, which reached its greatest intensity on Simuk Island, that is, on the western tip of the archipelago. Before the catastrophe, there were 120 homes on this island in the villages and temporary settlements, and about 1000 people lived there. Ninety-six homes were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami; about 3/4 of the population perished. (reference #414)
1861, March 9. Sumatra, Padang, Islands of Batu, Simo. Intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which
destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 16, 1861, Lagundi, Simuk, Tello I, Indonesia
- February 10, 1797, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- January 22, 2008, Gunungsitoli, Nias Island, Sumatra, Indonesia
- December 28, 1935, Batu I,padang,sibolga, N Sumatera, Indonesia
- April 24, 2023, Mentawai Islands, Sumatra, Indonesia
- February 4, 1971, Natal, Sibolga, Tarutung, Pasaman, Indonesia
- April 26, 1861, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- June 17, 1861, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- January 5, 1843, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- November 11, 1852, Sibolga, Sumatra, Indonesia
- July 29, 1885, Ajerbangis, Sumatra, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1861The 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 6142.