January 1, 1911 Earthquake: Kabul, Afghanistan
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kabul, Afghanistan on January 1, 1911 at 10:17:59 UTC, 35 km below the surface.
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 1, 1911
- Time
- 10:17:59 UTC
- Place
- Kabul, Afghanistan
- Magnitude
- 6.8 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 35 km (22 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 36.821° N, 66.431° E
- Country
- Afghanistan
The toll
- Deaths
- Some (about 51 to 100)
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
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.
One can take exception to part of Shpilko’s report: He extends the damaging effects of the earthquake into Afghanistan and across to the Amu Daria River. He refers to reports that in Kabul 300 houses were destroyed and 400 people killed, while at Kala-i-Yavun 60 houses collapsed and 240 people lost their lives. At Konabad (Khanabad), 70 houses fell, causing two deaths, but at Faizzabad a few houses were ruined with no fatalities. In fact these were caused by the earthquakes of 1 and 3 January 1911, with magnitude Ms 7.1 and 8.3 and centered in Afghanistan and Kyrghistan, respectively (tv; zo; Ambraseys and Bilham 2009). (reference #13726)
Reference #10476 (v.10) lists two strong earthquakes close in time and location: 1911 January 01, 10:17:58.95 UTC, 36.821 N 66.431 E, 35 km depth, 6.76 Mw; AND 1911 January 01, 14:59:17.89 UTC, 36.817 N 66.673 E, 35 km depth, 6.4 Mw
Reference #9910: 1911 January 01, 10:18:00 UTC, 38 N 66 E, 50 km depth, 6.8 Ms, 7 mB
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- June 10, 1954, Northern, Afghanistan
- May 1, 1994, Tashiak, Termiz, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- March 19, 1976, Shamagan Province, Hindu-Kush, Afghanistan
- November 2, 2025, Northern, Afghanistan
- April 18, 2010, Samangan Province, Afghanistan
- May 15, 818, Balkha, Hindu-Kush, Kazahkstan, Afghanistan, India
- 1175, Turkmenistan
- April 18, 1991, Badakhstan Province, Afghanistan
- 50, Aikhanum, Afghanistan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1911The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1911Recent 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 10732.