May 14, 1921 Earthquake: Sangkulirang,rending,kariorang,sekuran, Indonesia

Name: May 14, 1921 Earthquake: Sangkulirang,rending,kariorang,sekuran, Indonesia
Start: 1921-05-14
Location: Sangkulirang,rending,kariorang,sekuran, Indonesia

May 14, 1921 · M6.2

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Sangkulirang,rending,kariorang,sekuran, Indonesia on May 14, 1921 at 11:17:45 UTC. It caused a tsunami.

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: May 14, 1921
Time: 11:17:45 UTC
Place: Sangkulirang,rending,kariorang,sekuran, Indonesia
Magnitude: 6.2 (Ms)
Intensity: 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 0.700° N, 117.900° E
Country: Indonesia

The toll

Damage: Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
Houses destroyed: Few (about 1 to 50)
Houses damaged: Few (about 1 to 50)

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 #414:

1921, May 14. There was an earthquake on Kalimantan Island with a maximal intensity of 7 degrees (VIII - Rossi-Forel). It caused damage at Sankulirang and more considerable damage on Rending Island. Homes partially collapsed at Kariorang (Tandjung - Setlu) and Sekurau. A drill hole began to gush; a gaping crack 1O m long, 2 m deep and 20 cm wide formed in the ground and ejected sand and clay. The radius of the area of the tremors was 250 km. At least 10 recurrent shocks were felt. The earthquake generated tidal waves, which caused considerable damage at Sekurau (according to eyewitnesses, the water inundated the road to a depth of 1 m). [14.V: llh17m45s; 0.7 N., 117.9 E.; M=6.2.

Reference #1188:

May 14, 1921, MMI III. Sangkulirang: East Kalimantan - damage at Sangkulirang and more intense on the islands of Rending, Kariorang and Sekuran. Houses collapsed and gaping

fissures were observed. The shock was associated with a tsunami which swept the sea, causing considerable damage at Sekuran. (reference #1188)

Significant earthquakes of 1921 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1921 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 3173.