March 21, 1977 Earthquake: Bandar Abbas, Iran
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Bandar Abbas, Iran on March 21, 1977 at 21:18:53 UTC, 29 km below the surface. It killed 167 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 21, 1977
- Time
- 21:18:53 UTC
- Place
- Bandar Abbas, Iran
- Magnitude
- 6.7 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 29 km (18 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 27.584° N, 56.378° E
- Country
- Iran
The toll
- Deaths
- 167
- Injuries
- 556
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 1,500
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 #1192 lists 152 deaths.
152 killed, >20 villages destroyed, 1500 houses destroyed, MMI VIII,(reference #12864)
magnitude 6.2 (Mb), 6.9 (Ms), depth 29 km. At least 167 killed, 556 injured; 35 villages were heavily damaged. About 7,000 people homeless in Bandar Abbas area. (reference #45, 1053)
1977 Mar 31, 21:18:53.50, 27.584 N 56.378 E, magnitude 6.7 (Mw). (reference #10476)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 11, 1897, Qeshm Island, Larak Island, Iran
- April 24, 1960, Lar, Iran
- October 31, 1956, Bastak, Iran
- September 22, 1923, Sirjan, Iran
- May 19, 1884, Qeshm I,bandar-E-Laft,saheli,tonban,direstan, Iran
- June 11, 1961, Dehkuyeh,khaneh,lar,shagheb,nokhriz,bighu, Iran
- November 6, 1990, S, Darab, Iran
- November 27, 2005, Qeshm, Zirang
- January 15, 1953, Lar, 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
- July 29, 1963, Gahkom,laigazan,patkuiyeh,golruiyeh,ganj, Iran
- July 1, 2022, Hormozgan Province, Iran
- November 14, 2021, Hormozgan Province, Iran
More
Significant earthquakes of 1977The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1977Recent 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 4765.