Significant earthquakes of 1929

May 1, 1929 Earthquake: Kopet-Dagh, Iran

May 1, 1929 · M7.2 · 3,800 deaths

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Kopet-Dagh, Iran on May 1, 1929 at 15:37:35 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 3,800 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
May 1, 1929
Time
15:37:35 UTC
Place
Kopet-Dagh, Iran
Magnitude
7.2 (Mw)
Focal depth
10 km (6 mi)
Intensity
9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
38.090° N, 57.705° E
Country
Iran

The toll

Deaths
3,800
Injuries
1,121
Damage
Extreme (about $25 million or more)

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 #1138 lists earthquake on May 1, 1929, at 15:37 UTC, 37.8 N, 57.6 E, depth 50 km, magnitude 7.4, 3800 deaths in Kopet-Dagh.

Reference #130 lists earthquake on May 1, 1929, at 15:37:30 UTC, 38 N, 58 E, magnitude 7.1, depth 29 km.

Reference #223 lists earthquake on May 1, 1929, at 15:37 UTC, 37.8 N, 57.8 E, depth 21 km, magnitude 7.2, 5803 deaths.

Reference #10476 lists earthquake on May 1, 1929, at 15:37:35.57 UTC, 38.09 N, 57.705 E, magnitude 7.2 (Mw), depth 10 km.

Reference #12864 lists earthquake on May 1, 1929, magnitude 7.3 (Ms) and 7.1 (Mw), MMI at IX+, 3800 deaths and 1121 injured, 300 villages destroyed.

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1929The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1929Recent 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 3390.