April 15, 1979 Earthquake: Montenegro, Balkans NW

April 15, 1979, 06:19:44.1 UTC, 42.096 N, 19.209 E, depth 10 km, magnitude 6.2 mb, 6.9 MS. Yugoslavia. At least 121 people reported killed, more than 1,000 injured, 100,000 reported homeless and extensive damage (IX) along the southwestern coast of Yugoslavia. Local tsunami reported in Kotor Bay causing considerable damage. 35 people reported killed, 400 injured and extensive damage (VIII) in northern Albania. Also felt over a wide area of Europe. (reference #1053)

A strong earthquake struck the Montenegro, Yugoslavia coast at 7:20 am (06:20 UTC) on April 15, 1979. The earthquake caused damage over a large area and was felt as far away as the northern Alpine foreland, some 900 km distant. Most of the damage was restricted to Montenegro and northern Albania, more precisely to 100 km of the coastal region between Herceg-Novi on the north and Skadar on the south, extending some 25 km inland. The intensity of the April 15 earthquake did not exceed a Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) IX anywhere, and in most places within the damage zone it would correspond to MMI VII. The maximum intensity reached MMI VIII-IX in the area around Bar, whereas in Dubrovnik and Titograd the intensity was about MMI VI. Frequent aftershocks caused additional damage to buildings that had been severely damaged by the Apri1 15 earthquake; several buildings collapsed during the major aftershock on May 23. The number of people killed by by the earthquake was officially reported as 96 in Yugoslavia and 35 in Albania. More than 1000 people were injured, and about 80,000, 1/7 of the population of Montenegro, were made homeless. The loss of life and personal injuries were substantially lower than in the Skopje, Yugoslavia earthquake of July 26, 1963 when more than 1000 persons were killed. The small number of deaths and injuries is presumably a result of the fact that the earthquake occurred on a Sunday prior to the tourist season, when both the shipyard and hotels were empty. The estimate of total loss has increased from an initial estimate of $500 million (U.S.) to from $2.7 to $3.5 billion (U.S.). This substantially exceeds the loss in the Skopje earthquake of 1963. Although the individual degree of destruction was considerably lower than in Skopje, the losses aggregate to a high value because of the large area affected. (reference #3665)

April 15, 1979, Montenegro, 131 killed, $2,700 million damage. (reference #1051)

April 15, 1979, Yugoslavia, 131 killed, $470 million damage. (reference #1231)

April 15, 1979, Yugoslavia, 121 killed, $450 million damage. (reference #1250)

Note: at least 1 tsunami death (reference #9531)