January 15, 1968 Earthquake: Sicily, Italy
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Sicily, Italy on January 15, 1968 at 02:01:08 UTC, 33 km below the surface. It killed 216 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
- January 15, 1968
- Time
- 02:01:08 UTC
- Place
- Sicily, Italy
- Magnitude
- 6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 37.900° N, 13.100° E
- Country
- Italy
The toll
- Deaths
- 216
- Injuries
- 563
- Damage
- $320 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.
January 15, 1968, 02:01:08.5 UTC, 37.9 N, 13.1 E, magnitude 6. Several villages in western Sicily were destroyed by this strong shock. It toppled houses, hospitals, medieval castles and churches in the worst disaster in this country since the 1908 Messina earthquake. Damage was estimated at $250-$320 million, with 216 killed and 563 injured. (reference #45)
224 deaths, 563 injuries, and $250 million damage. (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 9, 1693, Sicily, Calabria, Catania, Italy
- January 11, 1693, Sicily, Calabria, Italy
- February 4, 1169, Siracusa (Syracuse), Calabria, Sicily, Italy
- 1137, Catania, Sicily, Italy
- August 6, 1757, Siracusa (Syracuse), Italy
- January 21, 1065, Catania,messina,milazzo,pale, Sicily, Italy
- September 1, 1726, Palermo, Marsala, Mazzara, Italy
- May 8, 1914, Catania, Etna, Italy
- August 25, 1613, Naso, Italy
- September 8, 1818, Madonie, Italy
- February 20, 1818, Acireale, Catania, Calabria, Italy
- July 19, 1865, Etna, Italy
- March 24, 1961, Sicily, Italy
- July 17, 1879, Italy
- January 25, 1968, Sicily, Italy
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 4425.