December 30, 1983 Earthquake: Kabul, Samangan, Pakistan, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Kabul, Samangan, Pakistan, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan on December 30, 1983 at 23:52:39 UTC, 215 km below the surface. It killed 26 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
- December 30, 1983
- Time
- 23:52:39 UTC
- Place
- Kabul, Samangan, Pakistan, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- Magnitude
- 7.2 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 215 km (134 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 36.372° N, 70.738° E
- Country
- Afghanistan
The toll
- Deaths
- 26
- Injuries
- 483
- Damage
- $3 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.
Twelve people killed, 483 injured and extensive damage in the Kabul and Samangan, Afghanistan areas. Fourteen people killed, hundreds injured and moderate damage in the Peshawar, Pakistan area. Some damage (VII) in Tajiskistan. Felt in much of northwestern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, northern India, and in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. (reference #1053)
$3 million damage, 12 killed, 60 injured. (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 30, 1998, Badakhshan, Takhar, Afghanistan
- February 4, 1998, Dushanbe, Rostaq, Tajikistan, Afghanistan
- August 31, 2025, Kunar, Nangarhar, Afghanistan
- March 25, 2002, Baghlan, Nahrin, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- January 31, 1991, Badakhstan, Baghlan, Laghman, Nagarhar, Afghanistan
- December 16, 1982, Northeastern, Afghanistan
- October 26, 2015, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- March 3, 2002, Samanghan, Kabul, Rustaq, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- June 11, 2012, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- July 13, 1990, Pik Lenina, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- March 21, 2023, Laghman, Pakistan, Afghanistan
- March 19, 1997, Bajaur, Chitral, Pakistan
- April 3, 2026, Kabul, Afghanistan
- June 24, 1972, Sarsangi, Narin Counties, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
- October 25, 1990, Chitral, Mardan, Malakand, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan
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 5018.