April 15, 1989 Earthquake: Batang, Sichuan Province, China
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Batang, Sichuan Province, China on April 15, 1989 at 20:34:08 UTC, 13 km below the surface. It killed 11 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 15, 1989
- Time
- 20:34:08 UTC
- Place
- Batang, Sichuan Province, China
- Magnitude
- 6.2 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 13 km (8 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 29.987° N, 99.195° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- 11
- Injuries
- 42
- Damage
- $164 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.
Four people killed, 5 injured and considerable damage in the Batang area. Seven people killed, at least 37 injured and additional damage in the area due to a number of aftershocks. (reference #1053)
8 deaths and $164 million damage. (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- April 11, 1870, Batang, Sichuan Province, China
- May 25, 1948, Sichuan Province, China
- August 24, 1930, Sichuan Province, China
- August 31, 2013, Benzilan, Yunnan Province, China
- February 23, 2001, Kangding, Yajiang, Sichuan Province, China
- August 11, 2013, Qamdo, Tibet (Xizang Province), China
- August 8, 2002, Rulong, Sichuan Province, China
- August 27, 2013, Shangri-La, Yunnan Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1989The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1989Recent 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 5192.