April 24, 1960 Earthquake: Lar, Iran
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Lar, Iran on April 24, 1960 at 12:14:31 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It killed 420 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
- April 24, 1960
- Time
- 12:14:31 UTC
- Place
- Lar, Iran
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 15 km (9 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 27.814° N, 54.497° E
- Country
- Iran
The toll
- Deaths
- 420
- Injuries
- 3,000
- Damage
- $20 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 #45 420 killed, 3,000 injured, and $20 million property damage at Kourdeh and Lar. Damage at Latifi, Khur, Beraq, and Gerash. Mag.6.
Reference #1138 lists 380 deaths.
Reference #12864 lists 420 deaths.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- April 10, 1972, Qir,karzin, Jahrom, Firuzabad, Iran
- January 11, 1897, Qeshm Island, Larak Island, Iran
- October 31, 1956, Bastak, Iran
- May 19, 1884, Qeshm I,bandar-E-Laft,saheli,tonban,direstan, Iran
- March 21, 1977, Bandar Abbas, Iran
- August 1880, Bastak, Jonah, Iran
- June 11, 1961, Dehkuyeh,khaneh,lar,shagheb,nokhriz,bighu, Iran
- January 19, 1950, Bushire, Iran
- November 6, 1990, S, Darab, Iran
- January 15, 1953, Lar, Iran
- November 27, 2005, Qeshm, Zirang
- March 24, 1913, Teyhan, Iran
- July 9, 1902, Qeshm,bandar Abbas,genu, Qeshm Island, Iran
- March 7, 1975, Sarkhun,qaleh Qazi,qadhad,nong-E-Bala, Iran
- September 10, 2008, Hormozgan Province, Iran
More
Significant earthquakes of 1960The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1960Recent 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 4220.