April 14, 1872 Earthquake: Accra, Ghana
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Accra, Ghana on April 14, 1872 at 23:00 UTC.
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 14, 1872
- Time
- 23:00 UTC
- Place
- Accra, Ghana
- Magnitude
- 4.9
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 5.500° N, 0.400° W
- Country
- Ghana
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100)
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.
Several violent shocks occurred in Accra on the night of 14 and 15 April, causing considerable damage. Many houses << were rent to pieces and completely destroyed, while others were cracked in several places ; fortunately the most severe shock was preceded by minor ones, which alarmed both the Europeans and natives, who had time to pack up and escape before the houses tumbled down, and consequently but few serious and no fatal accidents occurred >> (Fuchs, 1886 ; Press Reports). (reference #1214)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 1872The 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 2199.