December 3, 1885 Earthquake: M'Sila, Algeria
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck M'Sila, Algeria on December 3, 1885 at 20:00 UTC. It killed 33 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
- December 3, 1885
- Time
- 20:00 UTC
- Place
- M'Sila, Algeria
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (Mw)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 36.100° N, 4.600° E
- Country
- Algeria
The toll
- Deaths
- 33
- 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.
1885, December 3, 20h30m, 36.1 N, 4.6 E, intensity VII-VIII or IX. A largely felt earthquake which caused considerable damage at M'sila, Bou Saada, Sdtif, Batna, Bordj Bou Arrdridj, felt as far as Nemours, Collo and Ghardaia, houses collapsed at Boghari. (reference #1099)
1885, December 3, 20h00m, 36.1 N, 4.6 E, intensity VIII, Arreridj. (reference #1193)
1885, December 3-13. Algeria, M'Sila, Masrara, Blidah, Bou Saada, Medea, Bourmaada, Setif. (reference #1055)
1885, December 3. A strong earthquake in Central Algeria, from Batna to Mascara. Epicentre-36.1 N, 4.6 E. (reference #9893)
1885, December 3. M'sila. One of the strongest in East Algeria; 33 dead. (reference #9894)
1885, December 3, 20:00:00, 36.1 N, 4.6 E, intensity IX. M'Sila, Algeria, magnitude 6.4. (reference #9895)
1885, Decemer 3, magnitude 5.9 MS, intensity IX. This earthquake is known to have occurred in Bordj Bou Arréridj as reported by previous authors. However, it is more precisely an earthquake of M'sila region... This earthquake which affected the Hodna basin and strongly felt in Biban ranges, caused the loss of 33 lives, injuring 17 people and destroying 3/4 of the village of M'sila. Among the 1200 buildings of M'sila, 341 houses units were completely destroyed and 284 sustained serious cracks, the remaining were threatening collapse. The Bordj (fortified castle in arabic), where the administrator lived, crushed down
causing the destruction of 3/4 of administrative furniture;
12 inhabitants were buried beneath the ruins and severely injured. There was a great panic among the inhabitants which fled their home to camp in the gardens and the square of M'sila during several days. About 1300 families badly suffered in this city. The French authorities allocated 3000 French Francs for relief. On the 6th of December, they asked all inhabitants of Algeria to assist the people of the disaster area... There was no evidence of any sign of ground deformations or liquefaction, only some rockfall which obstructed the road of M'sila-Bordj Bou Arreridj.
The main shock was followed by a long sequence of aftershocks. (reference #9897)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 1716, Algiers, Algeria
- March 2, 1825, Blida, Algiers, Algeria
- May 21, 2003, Algiers, Boumerdes, Reghia, Thenia, Algeria
- February 12, 1946, Hodna Mountains, Algeria
- January 2, 1867, El Affroun, Algeria
- February 21, 1960, Melouza, Algeria
- November 16, 1869, Biskra, Algeria
- June 24, 1910, Masqueray, Kabylia, Algeria
- May 27, 2003, Algiers, Boumerdes, Reghaia, Algeria
- August 22, 1856, Northern, Algeria
- August 1, 2014, Algiers, Algeria
- October 27, 1985, Annaba-Setif-Souk, Algeria
- August 21, 1856, Northern, Algeria
- January 1, 1965, M'Sila, Algeria
- March 20, 2006, Northern, Algeria
More
Significant earthquakes of 1885The 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 9913.