May 14, 1970 Earthquake: Dagestan, Russia

On May 14, 1970 a foreshock at 09:20 UTC (magnitude 5.7) and main shock at 18:12 UTC (magnitude 6.5) in the Eastern Caucasus region caused heavy casualties and extensive damage in Dagestan. A UPI press release from Moscow stated that, "The quakes began about noon last Thursday and continued through Friday, tumbling houses, triggering rockslides, opening fissures, and setting off tidal waves that submerged sand dunes along the Caspian Seacoast." The newspaper Zary Vostoka (Dawn of the East) of Tblisi said the intensity reached as high as VIII and spread over the Dagestan region. (reference #2778)

[…] on May 14, 1970, at 18:12 GMT, the largest destructive earthquake in the Caucasus at that time, with M = 6.6, occurred in Dagestan […] As a result of the earthquake, 25% of the territory of the Dagestan ASSR was affected, mainly in the foothills and lowlands of the region. There was destruction in 257 population centers, and some villages, such as Kumtorkala, Ekibulak, and Almalo, were completely destroyed […] The shocks reached the capital of Dagestan, Makhachkala, where, as in the cities of Buynaksk, Kaspiysk, Khasavyurt, residents suffered from the natural disaster. Thirty-one people died, about 45000 people were left homeless, about 45000 buildings required repairs and restoration. There could have been more victims, but at 12:20 Moscow time, there was a shock of lesser magnitude of 7–8 in the epicenter, which actually proved to be a warning and saved lives: many residents left their homes and did reenter, fearing new shocks. (reference #14030)