March 31, 1955 Earthquake: Lanao,ozamiz,cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Lanao,ozamiz,cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines on March 31, 1955 at 18:17:13 UTC, 35 km below the surface. It killed 465 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
- March 31, 1955
- Time
- 18:17:13 UTC
- Place
- Lanao,ozamiz,cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines
- Magnitude
- 7.4 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 35 km (22 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 7.658° N, 123.157° E
- Country
- Philippines
The toll
- Deaths
- 465
- Injuries
- Very many (over 1,000)
- Damage
- $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.
Reference #1229 lists magnitude 7.6.
Reference #1040 lists magnitude 7.6, 465 deaths, and extreme damage.
Reference #1003 lists magnitude 7.9. 430 deaths
Reference #88 lists magnitude 7.6.
Reference #45 list 432 killed and several million dollars damage to property and' agriculture in Ilagan, Ozamis City, and Lake Lanao area_ Mag. 7.3.
Reference #1250 lists 400 deaths, 2000 injured 5 million USD in total damages (reference #1250)
Reference #1082 lists 291 persons killed, 713 injured
Reference 10476 (v.11) lists 1955-03-31 18:17:13.29 UTC, 7.658 N 123.157 E magnitude 7.37 Mw
Reference #1058, #1187 lists 01 April
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- August 16, 1976, S, Mindanao, Philippines
- December 19, 1928, Cotabato,n Coast of Illana Bay, Philippines
- May 5, 1925, W. Luzon Island, Philippines
- March 18, 1985, Pagadian, Zamboanga, Philippines
- August 21, 1902, Lanao, Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines
- August 17, 1976, Mindanao, Philippines
- December 21, 1636, Illana Bay, Mindanao, Philippines
- July 23, 1885, Dapitan, NE Mindanao, Philippines
- June 14, 1978, Mindanao Island, Philippines
- December 8, 1871, Cotabato,polloc Harbor, W Mindanao, Philippines
- July 23, 2010, Moro Gulf, Celebes Sea, Philippines
- March 1, 1922, Siaton,zamboanguita, Philippines
- September 1, 1922, Philippines
- March 2, 1923, Mindanao Island, Philippines
- August 24, 1874, Mindanao,zamboanga,isabela (Basilan), Philippines
More
Significant earthquakes of 1955The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1955Recent 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 4066.