September 23, 1947 Earthquake: Dustabad, Iran

Date

September 23, 1947

Time

12:28:16 UTC

Place

Dustabad, Iran

Magnitude

6.9 (Mw)

Focal depth

15 km (9 mi)

Intensity

8 on the Modified Mercalli scale

Tsunami

None recorded

Epicenter

33.604° N, 58.642° E

Country

Iran

Deaths

500

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.

• September 16, 1978, Tabas, IranM7.4 · 20,000 deaths · $50 million · 15,000 houses destroyed · 117 km
• October 21, 1336, Khaf, IranM7.6 · 20,000 deaths · 156 km
• August 31, 1968, Dasht-E-Bayaz, IranM7.1 · 10,488 deaths · $35 million · 12,000 houses destroyed · 74 km
• January 30, 1549, Qayen (Qain),khorasan, Iran3,000 deaths · 44 km
• May 10, 1997, Birjand, Ghaen, Afghanistan, IranM7.2 · 1,728 deaths · $100 million · 10,533 houses destroyed · 111 km
• December 19, 1618, Dughabad,khorasan, Iran800 deaths · 166 km
• February 16, 1941, Mohammadabad, IranM6.3 · 730 deaths · 15 km
• September 1, 1968, Ferdow, IranM6.2 · 700 deaths · 1,500 houses destroyed · 60 km
• December 14, 1925, Bajestan, IranM5.5 · 500 deaths · 121 km
• September 25, 1903, Kashmar, IranM5.9 · 350 deaths · 182 km
• November 14, 1979, Khorasan, IranM6.6 · 171 deaths · 216 houses destroyed · 118 km
• January 16, 1979, Bonzanabad, IranM6.5 · 129 deaths · 1,700 houses destroyed · 91 km
• April 1, 1962, Mussavieh, IranM5.8 · 20 deaths · 37 km
• November 27, 1979, IranM7.1 · 20 deaths · 119 km
• November 7, 1976, Khorasan Province, IranM6 · 17 deaths · 59 km

Significant earthquakes of 1947The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1947Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history

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 3863.