July 29, 1980 Earthquake: Pithoragarh, Nepal-India
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Pithoragarh, Nepal-India on July 29, 1980 at 14:58:40 UTC, 18 km below the surface. It killed 200 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 29, 1980
- Time
- 14:58:40 UTC
- Place
- Pithoragarh, Nepal-India
- Magnitude
- 6.5 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 18 km (11 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 29.598° N, 81.092° E
- Country
- Nepal
The toll
- Deaths
- 200
- Injuries
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- $245 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.
Reference #1250 lists $245 million damage.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- November 3, 2023, Jajarkot, Rukum West, Nepal
- March 28, 1999, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, India
- June 27, 1966, Nepal-India
- November 8, 2022, Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal
- January 24, 2023, Sudurpashchim Province, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal, India
- October 3, 2023, Dipayal, Nepal
- April 4, 2011, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal-India
- August 28, 1916, Nepal, Tibet (Xizang Province)
- December 20, 2024, Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal
- June 22, 2010, Tauli, India
- May 30, 1833, Lohughar, India
- May 1, 2010, Chamoli, India
- October 20, 1993, Uttar Pradesh, NW, India, Nepal
- June 6, 1505, Nepal-India
More
Significant earthquakes of 1980The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1980Recent 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 4888.