August 1, 1989 Earthquake: Kurima District, Baliem River, Indonesia
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Kurima District, Baliem River, Indonesia on August 1, 1989 at 00:18:04 UTC, 14 km below the surface. It killed 120 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
- August 1, 1989
- Time
- 00:18:04 UTC
- Place
- Kurima District, Baliem River, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 14 km (9 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 4.511° S, 139.022° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Deaths
- 120
- Injuries
- 125
- Damage
- $1 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.
About 120 people killed and 125 injured by landslides which buried two villages in the Kurima district. Landslides also blocked the Baliem River. Felt at Wamena.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- June 25, 1976, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, Indonesia
- January 19, 1981, Jayawijaya Mts, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, Indonesia
- October 29, 1976, Jayawijaya, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, Indonesia
- October 7, 1900, NW. Irian Jaya, Indonesia
- October 26, 1926, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, Indonesia
- January 10, 1971, Djajapura,sentani, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, Indonesia
- May 28, 1968, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, Indonesia
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 5207.