July 24, 1991 Earthquake: Arbil, Dibs, Iraq
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Arbil, Dibs, Iraq on July 24, 1991 at 09:45:41 UTC, 26 km below the surface. It killed 20 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
- July 24, 1991
- Time
- 09:45:41 UTC
- Place
- Arbil, Dibs, Iraq
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 26 km (16 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 36.520° N, 44.066° E
- Country
- Iraq
The toll
- Deaths
- 20
- Injuries
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 100
- Houses damaged
- 100
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.
At least 20 people killed, many injured; at least 100 houses destroyed and many damaged in the Arbil-Dibs area, Iraq. Felt at Mahabad and Piranshahr, Iran. Intensity VII-VIII MSK in the Harir region, north of Arbil. (Reference #1053).
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- 847, Al-Mawsil, Iraq
- September 6, 845, Al-Mawsil, Iraq
- May 6, 1930, Salmas, Iran
- 1781, Al-Mawsil (Mosul), Iraq
- July 23, 1981, Urumiyeh, Iran
- January 25, 2005, Hakkari, Turkey
- November 1137, Mesopotamia, Mosul, Iraq-Syria
- May 13, 986, Al-Mawsil (Mosul), Iraq
- February 12, 1130, Al-Mawsil (Mosul),jabal,jazirah, Iraq
- June 3, 2006, Hakkari, Turkey
- April 9, 1857, Lake Urmia (Lake Urmi), Iran
- November 1666, Al-Mawsil, Armenia, Iraq
- 678, Between Tigris and Tharthar Rivers, Jazirah, Iraq
- January 25, 749, NE of Tharthar River, Jazirah, Iraq
- June 14, 2012, Sirnak, Turkey
More
Significant earthquakes of 1991The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1991Recent 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 5301.