July 9, 1979 Earthquake: Liyang, Jiangsu Province, China
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Liyang, Jiangsu Province, China on July 9, 1979 at 10:57:22 UTC, 11 km below the surface. It killed 41 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
- July 9, 1979
- Time
- 10:57:22 UTC
- Place
- Liyang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Magnitude
- 5.4 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 11 km (7 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 31.452° N, 119.241° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- 42; 41 with its tsunami and other effects
- Injuries
- 2,987
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
- Houses destroyed
- 113,909
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 #1053 lists earthquake on July 9, 197, 10:57:22.1,
41 people were reported killed, more than 2000 injured and there was considerable damage in the Liyang area. Felt widely in eastern China. (reference #1053)
42 deaths, 682 seriously injured, 2305 injured, 113,909 rooms destroyed, 272,884 rooms damaged, 11 bridges damaged. (reference #3959)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 1037, Taichou, Jiangsu Province, China
- August 16, 1372, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
- July 19, 1928, Sichuan Province, China
- July 20, 2012, Jiangsu Province, China
- April 22, 1974, Jiangsu Province, China
- December 16, 1679, Jiangsu Province, China
- October 999, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- August 4, 499, Jiangsu Province, China
- January 3, 1930, Jiangsu Province, China
- October 30, 1868, Anhui Province, China
- January 1531, Jiangsu Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1979The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1979Recent 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 4839.