January 15, 1891 Earthquake: Bourava, Gouraya, Algeria
An earthquake struck Bourava, Gouraya, Algeria on January 15, 1891 at 03:55 UTC. It killed 36 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
- January 15, 1891
- Time
- 03:55 UTC
- Place
- Bourava, Gouraya, Algeria
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 36.500° N, 1.800° E
- Country
- Algeria
The toll
- Deaths
- 36
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 75
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.
January 15, 1891, 04h, 36.5 N, 1.8 E, R.15, intensity IX-X. A destructive shock at Gouraya where 53 houses were thrown down, 36 victims, at Villebourg 22 houses were destroyed as well as many "gourbis in the dours", a crack 40 cm wide crossed the village, at Alger and El Affroun houses were fissured, at Blida some houses collapsed, at Mouzalville an earthslide cut the road, felt at Mira, Perregaux, Boghari, Teniet el Haad, Tiaret, Saida, Ain el Hadjar, Ain Bessem, Djelfa and Djelala. (reference #1099)
January 15, 1891, 36 deg 5 min N, 1 deg 8 min E, intensity X at Gouraya et Villebourg, 36 deaths. (reference #1201)
1891, January 15, 3h55m, 36.5 N 1.9 E. (reference #9348)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 1716, Algiers, Algeria
- March 2, 1825, Blida, Algiers, Algeria
- October 10, 1980, Northern, Algeria
- May 21, 2003, Algiers, Boumerdes, Reghia, Thenia, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, Orleansville, Algeria
- January 2, 1867, El Affroun, Algeria
- October 29, 1989, Algiers, Cherchell, Tipaza, Algeria
- November 29, 1887, Kalaa, Algeria
- May 27, 2003, Algiers, Boumerdes, Reghaia, Algeria
- August 1, 2014, Algiers, Algeria
- January 26, 1987, Mohammadia, Qued, Fodda, Tissemsilt, Algeria
- May 23, 1857, Sea of Alboran, Algeria
- August 25, 1922, Bordj Abou El Hasen, Dahra, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, El Asnam, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, El Asnam, Algeria
More
Significant earthquakes of 1891The 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 2405.