January 11, 1897 Earthquake: Qeshm Island, Larak Island, Iran

1897, Jan 10, 23:30 local time [Jan 11, 1897, 03:00 UTC], 26.95 N, 56.26 E, magnitude 6.1, intensity VIII, 1600 deaths. (reference #3437)

1897, January 11, earthquake causing enormous loss of life. A Bushire telegram states that the latest news from Qishm reports that 1,400 bodies have been recovered from the ruins (The Times January 25, 1897 p.5b). An official report from the Governor of Banda-Abbas to the Governor of Bushire said - "From seven hour after sunset on Sunday night the 10th of January, until dawn we had three severe shocks of earthquake, which caused terrible fright throughout the neighbourhood. The people all went out of the town to seek succour from God through His Holy Apostles. Two hours before sunset on Monday, the 11th of January, a boat arrived from Qishm and brought the sad news that an earthquake had played havoc with all the houses of that island. After making proper inquiries from the captain of the boat I was able to gather that the whole market place and the houses had been totally wrecked, hardly ten houses remaining intact. Ten thousand people (men, women and children) are said to have been buried alive. The island of Qishm is in total ruins. Undoubtedly not more than 100 persons could have escaped with their lives as the night was very cold and the people were sleeping in their rooms (The Times March 13, 1897, p. 5c).

January 11, at night Qishm town was leveled to the ground. 1,600 people were killed. Only two mosques and three or four other buildings were left standing. There was loss of life also on the island of Larak and the shock was felt as far to the west as Lingeh (Persian Gulf Gazetteer; Nature, 55, 176, Lond, 1897; Sykes 1902; Milne 1911; Wilson 1930). (reference #1217)