November 26, 1943 Earthquake: Ladik, Samsun, Havza, Turkey

Name: November 26, 1943 Earthquake: Ladik, Samsun, Havza, Turkey
Start: 1943-11-26
Location: Ladik, Samsun, Havza, Turkey

November 26, 1943 · M7.5 · 4,020 deaths · 40,000 houses destroyed

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Ladik, Samsun, Havza, Turkey on November 26, 1943 at 22:20:48 UTC, 20 km below the surface. It killed 4,020 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: November 26, 1943
Time: 22:20:48 UTC
Place: Ladik, Samsun, Havza, Turkey
Magnitude: 7.5 (Mw)
Focal depth: 20 km (12 mi)
Intensity: 11 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 40.867° N, 33.651° E
Country: Turkey

The toll

Deaths: 4,020
Injuries: 5,000
Damage: Extreme (about $25 million or more)
Houses destroyed: 40,000

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.

1943, Nov. 26, 22:20 UTC, Ladik, 41 N, 33.7 E, magnitude 7.6, 4020 deaths. (reference #1138)

1943, Nov. 26, Havza-Ladik, magnitude 7.6 MS, 4000 killed, 5000 injured, 40000 houses destroyed. (reference #1141)

1943, Nov. 26, 22:20:36 UTC, 41 N, 34 E, magnitude 7.6 MS, shallow depth. (reference #88)

1943, Nov. 26, 22:20:36 UTC, 41 N, 34 E, magnitude 7.6 MS. (reference #130)

1943, Nov. 26, 22:20:36 UTC, 41 N, 34 E, magnitude 7.6 MS. (reference #1006)

1943, Nov. 26, 22:20:32 UTC, Sasun, Ladik, 40.5 N, 34 E, magnitude 7.6 MS, intensity X. Destruction at Samsun, Ladik, Vezirkopru and Destek. A fissure about 65 km long. (reference #1071)

1943, Nov. 26, 22:20.6 UTC, 41 N, 33.5 E. Reports stated about 1400 buildings were destroyed; same number damaged in northern Anatolia. 2900 deaths, many injured. Epicenter in region east of Ankara. (reference #45)

1943, Nov. 26, 22:20:32 UTC, 41.4 N, 33.8 E, magnitude 7.3 MS, intensity X-XI. (reference #1004)

1943, Nov. 27, 00:20 [local time], Ladik (Samsun), intensity IX-X, magnitude 7.2 MS, 4000 killed, 40000 buildings destroyed. (reference #1251)

1943, Nov. 26, 22:20:48.56 UTC, 40.867 N, 33.651 E, magnitude 7.5 Mw, depth 20. (reference #10476, v9.1)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1943 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1943 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 3764.