August 6, 1988 Earthquake: Gauhati, Sibsagar, Imphal, Myanmar (Burma), India
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Gauhati, Sibsagar, Imphal, Myanmar (Burma), India on August 6, 1988 at 00:36:24 UTC, 91 km below the surface. It killed 5 people, counting the tsunami it caused.
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
- August 6, 1988
- Time
- 00:36:24 UTC
- Place
- Gauhati, Sibsagar, Imphal, Myanmar (Burma), India
- Magnitude
- 7.2 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 91 km (57 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 25.149° N, 95.127° E
- Country
- Myanmar
The toll
- Deaths
- 3; 5 with its tsunami and other effects
- Missing
- 30 with its tsunami and other effects
- Injuries
- 42
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 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.
Three people killed, 12 injured and considerable damage and landslides in the Gauhati-Sibsagar-lmphal area, India. Subsidence of about 20 centimeters occurred in the Gauhati area, India. About 30 people injured and some damage in Bangladesh. Two people killed and about 30 missing when a possible seiche on the Jamuno River at Aricha, Bangladesh caused a ferry boot to capsize. Some damage in the Homalin area, Burma. Felt throughout Bangladesh and northeastern India, including Calcutta. Also felt in parts of northwestern Burma and at Kathmandu, Nepal. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 3, 2016, Impahl, India
- February 4, 2011, Monywa, Myanmar
- August 30, 2009, Sibsagar, Myanmar (Burma), India
- November 21, 2011, Assam, India, Myanmar
- March 21, 1954, Calcutta, Cuttack, Bhagalpur, Myanmar, India
- August 14, 1932, Assam, Myanmar, India
- January 28, 1931, Kamaing, Myanmar
- January 27, 1931, Kachin, Myanmar
- September 12, 1946, Myanmar
- September 12, 1946, Myanmar
- February 4, 1961, India
- January 5, 1991, Thabeikkyin, Mandalay, Myanmar
More
Significant earthquakes of 1988The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1988Recent 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 5164.