April 29, 1968 Earthquake: Maku,shah Bandalu,qurta Bolagh,qondeqli, Iran
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Maku,shah Bandalu,qurta Bolagh,qondeqli, Iran on April 29, 1968 at 17:01:57 UTC, 34 km below the surface. It killed 38 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 29, 1968
- Time
- 17:01:57 UTC
- Place
- Maku,shah Bandalu,qurta Bolagh,qondeqli, Iran
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 34 km (21 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 39.253° N, 44.203° E
- Country
- Iran
The toll
- Deaths
- 38
- Injuries
- 100
- Damage
- $1 million
- Houses destroyed
- 1,000
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.
April 29, 1968, 17:01:57.6 UTC, 39.2 N, 44.3 E, depth 34 km, magnitude 5.3, 38 deaths, 100 injuries, and 1000 houses destroyed in the Maku area of northwestern Iran. It was reported that fissures developed on the mountainside overlooking Maku. (reference #45)
38 deaths, 100 injuries, $1 million damage. (reference #1250)
1968 April 29, Gol region, magnitude 5.5 (Ms), MMI VII, 61 killed, 100 injured, 10 villages destroyed, 1 million USD in direct economic loss. (reference #12864)
1968 April 29, 17:01:57.16 UTC, 39.253 N 44.203 E, magnitude 5.55 (Mw). (reference #10476)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 24, 893, Ardabil, Dvin, Iran, Armenia
- 1444, Nemrut Mtns, Turkey
- December 7, 1988, Leninakan, Spitak, Kirovakan, Armenia
- 851, Dvin, Armenia
- January 858, Dvina, Turkey, Armenia
- June 4, 1679, Dvina, Turkey, Armenia
- November 24, 1976, Muradiye, Turkey
- April 28, 1903, Malazgirt, Turkey
- April 27, 1931, Zangezur, Nakhitchevan, Armenia
- May 6, 1930, Salmas, Iran
- 854, Tovin, Armenia
- March 31, 1648, Van, Turkey
- July 2, 1840, Maku, Mt Ararat, Aguri, Aralikh, Iran, Turkey
- April 18, 1843, Khvoy (Khoy), Iran
- January 5, 1896, Khvoy (Khoy), Iran
More
Significant earthquakes of 1968The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1968Recent 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 4434.