July 28, 1981 Earthquake: SE, Kerman, Iran
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck SE, Kerman, Iran on July 28, 1981 at 17:22:24 UTC, 33 km below the surface. It killed 3,000 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 28, 1981
- Time
- 17:22:24 UTC
- Place
- SE, Kerman, Iran
- Magnitude
- 7 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 30.013° N, 57.794° E
- Country
- Iran
The toll
- Deaths
- 3,000
- Injuries
- 1,000
- Damage
- $1 billion
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.
July 28, 1981, 17:22:24.6 UTC, 30.013 N, 57.794 E, depth 33 km, magnitude 5.7 mb, 7.1 MS. Iran. 1,500 people killed, 1,000 injured, 50,000 homeless, and extensive damage in the Kerman region. (reference #1053)
July 28, 1981, Kerman, Iran, 1,200 killed, $1,000 million damage. (reference #1250)
On 28 July 1981 at 17:22 UTC, the Kerman province of southern Iran was shaken by the largest and the most destructive earthquake in its history. Its surface-wave magnitude was about 7.2. The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 45 km southeast of the city of Kerman, the capital of the Kerman province. The shock killed nearly 3,000 people, left more than 31,000 homeless, and destroyed virtually all buildings in the epicentral region within a radius of 30 km. The hardest hit place was the town of Sirch where about 2,000 people died out of a population of 3,500. (reference #8295)
1300 people killed, 1000 injured, 1bn USD losses, magnitude 7 (Ms & Mw), MMI 9. (reference #12864)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 26, 2003, Bam, Baravat, Southeastern, Iran
- June 11, 1981, Golbaft, SE, Iran
- April 18, 1911, Ravar, Iran
- February 22, 2005, Zarand, Kerman Province, Iran
- December 19, 1977, Bab-Tangol, Iran
- September 22, 1923, Sirjan, Iran
- March 14, 1998, Golbaf, Baft, Kerman, Iran
- November 20, 1989, Shahdad, Kerman Province, Iran
- March 4, 1999, Kerman, Southern, Iran
- 1896, Qobeh-E-Sabz (Kerman), Iran
- December 1, 2017, Kerman, Iran
- January 17, 1864, Kirman, Chatrud, Iran
- May 7, 2006, Zarand, Iran
- February 27, 2012, Ravar, Iran
More
Significant earthquakes of 1981The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1981Recent 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 4923.