July 29, 1945 Earthquake: Van,bolgesi, Turkey
An earthquake struck Van,bolgesi, Turkey on July 29, 1945 at 08:56:00 UTC. It killed 300 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
- July 29, 1945
- Time
- 08:56:00 UTC
- Place
- Van,bolgesi, Turkey
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 38.500° N, 43.300° E
- Country
- Turkey
The toll
- Deaths
- 300
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- 2,000
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.
Ref #1141 lists July 1945, intensity 7, killed 300, 2000 houses demolished.
Ref #1071 lists earthquake July 21 and 29. June and July, Swarm earthquakes in the vicinity of Van, the main shock has 10 = VII. Damage at the city of Van' and at the following villages: Yedikilise. Kurubas, Zevik, Sason and Pertik. The houses at Yedikilise were heavily damaged and the dome of the old crack was partially collapsed.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- 1444, Nemrut Mtns, Turkey
- November 24, 1976, Muradiye, Turkey
- April 28, 1903, Malazgirt, Turkey
- May 6, 1930, Salmas, Iran
- August 19, 1966, Varto, Turkey
- March 31, 1648, Van, Turkey
- July 2, 1840, Maku, Mt Ararat, Aguri, Aralikh, Iran, Turkey
- April 18, 1843, Khvoy (Khoy), Iran
- May 31, 1946, Ustukran, Turkey
- January 5, 1896, Khvoy (Khoy), Iran
- October 23, 2011, Ercis, Van, Turkey
- September 10, 1941, Van, Ercis, Turkey
- June 7, 1881, Van,nemrut, Turkey
- 1319, Ararat, Sini, Ani, St Thaddeus, Armenia, Iran
- May 13, 1924, Erzurum, Turkey
More
Significant earthquakes of 1945The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1945Recent 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 3805.