April 12, 1983 Earthquake: Chimbote, Peru
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Chimbote, Peru on April 12, 1983 at 12:07:54 UTC, 104 km below the surface. It killed 10 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
- April 12, 1983
- Time
- 12:07:54 UTC
- Place
- Chimbote, Peru
- Magnitude
- 6.5 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 104 km (65 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 4.843° S, 78.103° W
- Country
- Peru
The toll
- Deaths
- 10
- Damage
- $500,000
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 10 deaths and $0.5 million damage.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 30, 1990, Moyabamba-Riojo, Peru
- April 5, 1991, Rioja, Moyobamba, Nueva Cajamarca, Peru
- May 14, 1928, Chacahpoyas,huancabamba,cajamarca,pinpincos, Peru
- June 19, 1968, San Martin,moyobamba,yantalo,rioja,lamas, Peru
- June 9, 1990, N, Rioja, Moyobamba, Iquitos, Peru
- July 18, 1928, Peru
- October 31, 2005, Northern Peru
- November 28, 2021, Amazonas, Peru
- April 4, 1991, Rioja, Neuva Cajamarca, Peru
More
Significant earthquakes of 1983The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1983Recent 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 4975.