August 27, 1942 Earthquake: Peshkopia, Magellare, Albania
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Peshkopia, Magellare, Albania on August 27, 1942 at 06:14:11 UTC, 33 km below the surface. It killed 43 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
- August 27, 1942
- Time
- 06:14:11 UTC
- Place
- Peshkopia, Magellare, Albania
- Magnitude
- 6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 41.700° N, 20.400° E
- Country
- Albania
The toll
- Deaths
- 43
- Injuries
- 110
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
August 27, 1942, 06:14:11 UTC, 41.7 N, 20.4 E, depth 33 km, magnitude 6.0, MMI X. (reference #1004)
August 27, 1942, 07:15 [local time], MMI X. In the epicentre 43 victims, 110 wounded, number of cattle; 80% of the houses uninhabitable. (reference #1109)
August 27, 1942, 06:14:11, 42 N, 21 E. (reference #130)
August 27, 1942, 06:14.2 UTC, 42 N, 20 E, Albania. Considerable damage, a number killed. (reference #45)
August 26, 1942, Albania. The New York Times reported the announcement, broadcast by an Italian news agency of an earthquake which killed a number of people and caused considerable damage. The region affected was that around Tirana, the capital of Albania. (reference #8201)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 12, 1851, Vlore (Valona),berat, Turkey, Albania
- July 26, 1963, Skopje, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- October 17, 1851, Berat, Albania
- November 26, 1920, Tepelene, Dragoti, Peshtani, Maricaj, Albania
- April 15, 1979, Montenegro, Balkans NW
- June 1, 1905, Shkoder, Albania
- January 28, 1931, Korce, Albania
- January 2, 1866, Narta, Vlore, Kanina, Albania
- March 2, 1866, Smokthine, Velca, Vlore, Albania
- November 26, 2019, Durres, Thumane, Tirana, Albania
- November 21, 1930, Vlore, Himare, Kuc, Albania
- December 2, 1930, Vlore, Tepelene, Albania
- November 30, 1967, Albania
- March 18, 1962, Albania
- February 25, 1983, Skopje, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1942The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1942Recent 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 3712.