April 11, 1870 Earthquake: Batang, Sichuan Province, China

Name: April 11, 1870 Earthquake: Batang, Sichuan Province, China
Start: 1870-04-11
Location: Batang, Sichuan Province, China

April 11, 1870 · M7.3 · 2,300 deaths

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Batang, Sichuan Province, China on April 11, 1870. It killed 2,300 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: April 11, 1870
Place: Batang, Sichuan Province, China
Magnitude: 7.3 (Ms)
Intensity: 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 30.000° N, 99.000° E
Country: China

The toll

Deaths: 2,300
Damage: Extreme (about $25 million or more)
Houses destroyed: 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.

April 11, 1870, Batang, Sichuan Province, 30 N, 99 E, magnitude 7.25, intensity X.

All temples collapsed; the stone-steps of the lamasery

and a village god temple were damaged or collapsed. Over 90% of wood construction of the Zang nationality (Tibetan) type and stone houses collapsed. Steep hills along the river collapsed, damming a river and roads. The ground cracked 0.5-1 m wide and staggered 1-2 m in vertical direction, the

crevice extending off and on for over 30 km. Several

hundred families were buried under debris, innumerous people were injured.

(above from reference #3939)

Reference #1052 lists April 11, 1870, Szechwan Province, 30 N, 99 E, magnitude 6.755, intensity IX.

Reference #1002 lists April 11, 1870, Sikang, 2,300 dead.

Reference #1055 lists April 11, 1871, China, Bathang, 2,300 lives lost [probably describing the earthquake on April 11, 1870].

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1870 The 1800s Recent earthquakes near here This 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 2166.