January 31, 1943 Earthquake: Yanacoa, Pampamarca, Peru

Name: January 31, 1943 Earthquake: Yanacoa, Pampamarca, Peru
Start: 1943-01-31
Location: Yanacoa, Pampamarca, Peru

January 31, 1943 · M5 · 75 deaths

A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Yanacoa, Pampamarca, Peru on January 31, 1943 at 05:01 UTC. It killed 75 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: January 31, 1943
Time: 05:01 UTC
Place: Yanacoa, Pampamarca, Peru
Magnitude: 5 (Ms)
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 14.200° S, 71.500° W
Country: Peru

The toll

Deaths: 75
Injuries: 200
Damage: Moderate (about $1 to $5 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.

January 30, 05:01 UTC [probably local time not UTC], Peru. Yanaoca, Cuzco Province, 200 reported killed. (reference #45, U.S. Earthquakes 1943, Principal earthquakes of the world from January to december 1943)

January 30, 1943, at 24:00 [local time], there was a destructive earthquake in the villages of Yanaoca and Pampamarca in the province of Cams, department of Cuzco. The phenomenon was of local character and caused 75 deaths and 200 injuries. (reference #1111)

January 31, 1943, 05:00 UTC, 14 S 71.5 W, magnitude 5 MS, intensity VII. (reference #1208)

January 31, 1943 05:01 UTC, 14.2 S, 71.5 W, magnitude 5.01 MS, intensity VII. (reference #1221)

At midnight, January 30-31, 1943, an earthquake at the towns of Yanaoca and Pampamarca destroyed many buildings, killed about 75 persons, and injured about 200. (reference #14039)

200 deaths (reference #1250)

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 3733.