November 29, 1887 Earthquake: Kalaa, Algeria
An earthquake struck Kalaa, Algeria on November 29, 1887 at 12:30 UTC. It killed 20 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
- November 29, 1887
- Time
- 12:30 UTC
- Place
- Kalaa, Algeria
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 35.580° N, 0.330° E
- Country
- Algeria
The toll
- Deaths
- 20
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 331
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.
November 29, 1887, 13h30m [local time], 35.6 N, 0.3 E, intensity = IX-X. Heavy damage at Kalaa where the mosque and 331 houses collapsed, 20 victims, the neighbouring villages Hillil, Debba and Thiouanet were also damaged VVI-VII,
rockslides, felt at Mascara, Relizane and Oran. (reference #1099)
November 29, 1887, 35 deg 35 min N, 0 deg 20 min E, intensity IX-X at Kalaa, 20 deaths. (reference #1201)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 10, 1980, Northern, Algeria
- October 9, 1790, Cartagena, Santa Fe, Oran, Spain, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, Orleansville, Algeria
- August 18, 1994, Mascara, Algeria
- January 15, 1891, Bourava, Gouraya, Algeria
- December 22, 1999, Ain Temouchent, Northern, Algeria
- July 13, 1967, Near Sig, Algeria
- January 9, 2008, Oran, Algeria
- June 6, 2008, Oran, Algeria
- January 26, 1987, Mohammadia, Qued, Fodda, Tissemsilt, Algeria
- March 1819, Mascara, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, El Asnam, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, El Asnam, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, El Asnam, Algeria
- August 25, 1922, Bordj Abou El Hasen, Dahra, Algeria
More
Significant earthquakes of 1887The 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 2376.