February 13, 1902 Earthquake: Semacha, N Iran, Azerbaijan
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Semacha, N Iran, Azerbaijan on February 13, 1902 at 09:39:30 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It killed 2,000 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
- February 13, 1902
- Time
- 09:39:30 UTC
- Place
- Semacha, N Iran, Azerbaijan
- Magnitude
- 6.9 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 15 km (9 mi)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 40.700° N, 48.600° E
- Country
- Azerbaijan
The toll
- Deaths
- 2,000
- Injuries
- 60; Many (about 101 to 1,000) with its tsunami and other effects
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
- Houses destroyed
- 3,496
- Houses damaged
- 3,496
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.
Reference #223 lists earthquake on Feb 13, 1902, 09:39:30 utc, 40.7 N, 48.6 E, depth 15 km, magnitude 6.9, intensity 8-9; 3496 buildings out of 9084 were destroyed in the surrounding vi11ages; 3943 were damaged; 86 were killed and 60 injured […] The number of victims in Shemakha is not given; in many sources the numbers reporter by V.N. Veber only for the surrounding villages (86 dead and 60 injured) are repeated erroneously. The number of casualties in Shemakha undoubtedly was much greater.
Reference #1250 lists 86 deaths, 60 injured.
The 1902 event killed 2,000 people and destroyed 4,000 homes (New York Times, 1902). (reference #14165)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- 1139, Gyzndzha, Azerbaijan
- November 1667, Shemakha (Samaxi), Azerbaijan
- January 14, 1668, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- January 28, 1872, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- June 11, 1859, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- November 25, 2000, Baku, Azerbaijan
- June 4, 1999, Agdas, Ucar, Agali, Azerbaijan
- June 5, 2018, Shaki-Zaqatala, Azerbaijan
- January 1, 1671, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- September 2, 1869, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- August 9, 1828, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- February 5, 2019, Shemakha (Semacha), Azerbaijan
- December 18, 1880, Semacha, Somaki, Armenia, Azerbaijan
- May 11, 2017, Ardabil, Iran, Azerbaijan
- January 2, 1842, Apscheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1902The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1902Recent 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 2613.