Significant earthquakes of 1941

February 16, 1941 Earthquake: Mohammadabad, Iran

February 16, 1941 · M6.3 · 730 deaths

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Mohammadabad, Iran on February 16, 1941 at 16:38:00 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It killed 730 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 16, 1941
Time
16:38:00 UTC
Place
Mohammadabad, Iran
Magnitude
6.3 (Mw)
Focal depth
15 km (9 mi)
Intensity
8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
33.527° N, 58.776° E
Country
Iran

The toll

Deaths
730
Damage
Severe (about $5 to $25 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.

Reference #1138 lists epicenter 33.5 N, 58.6 E, magnitude 6.3, 730 deaths.

Reference #1191 lists epicenter 33.3 N, 58.9 E, magnitude 6.3, 600 deaths, severe damage.

Reference #12864 lists magnitude 6.2 (Ms) and 6.1 (Mw), MMI of VIII. Over 680 deaths and 9 villages destroyed.

Reference #10476 lists epicenter 33.527 N, 58.776 E, magnitude 6.3 (Mw), depth 15 km

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1941The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1941Recent 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 3675.