Significant earthquakes of 1990

August 3, 1990 Earthquake: Akkal, Ust, Kazakhstan

August 3, 1990 · M6.1 · 500 houses destroyed

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Akkal, Ust, Kazakhstan on August 3, 1990 at 09:15:06 UTC, 33 km below the surface.

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 3, 1990
Time
09:15:06 UTC
Place
Akkal, Ust, Kazakhstan
Magnitude
6.1 (Ms)
Focal depth
33 km (21 mi)
Intensity
7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
47.963° N, 84.961° E
Country
Kazakhstan

The toll

Injuries
8
Damage
Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
Houses destroyed
500

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.

1990, Aug 3. Eight people injured and about 500 buildings destroyed (VII) in the Akkol'oreo, USSR. Felt (IV) at Ust-Komenogorsk and Semipolotinsk; (III) st Pavlodor and Taldy-Kurgan, USSR. Also felt at Alma-Ato and Borovoy, USSR. Felt strongly in northern Xinjiang Province, China. (reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1990The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1990Recent 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 5257.