April 5, 1991 Earthquake: Rioja, Moyobamba, Nueva Cajamarca, Peru
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Rioja, Moyobamba, Nueva Cajamarca, Peru on April 5, 1991 at 04:19:49 UTC, 20 km below the surface. It killed 53 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 5, 1991
- Time
- 04:19:49 UTC
- Place
- Rioja, Moyobamba, Nueva Cajamarca, Peru
- Magnitude
- 6.7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 20 km (12 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 5.982° S, 77.094° W
- Country
- Peru
The toll
- Deaths
- 53
- Injuries
- 252
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses damaged
- 8,063
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.
1991, April 5. Fifty-three people killed, 252 injured and
extensive damage (VII) to 8,063 homes in the Rioja-Moyobomba-Nuevo Cojamorco area. Felt (VI) at Toropoto, (V) at Chiclayo, (IV) al Trujillio and (II) at Lima. Felt throughout northern Peru. Felt (IV) at Guayaquil and (III) at Ouito, Ecuador. Felt strongly in much of southern Ecuador. Two events about 6 seconds apart. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 30, 1990, Moyabamba-Riojo, Peru
- May 14, 1928, Chacahpoyas,huancabamba,cajamarca,pinpincos, Peru
- June 19, 1968, San Martin,moyobamba,yantalo,rioja,lamas, Peru
- March 20, 1972, Juanjui, Peru
- April 12, 1983, Chimbote, Peru
- September 26, 2005, Lamas, Chachapoyas, Moyobamba, Tarapota, Peru
- May 26, 2019, La Libertad, Cajamarca, Ecuador, Peru
- June 9, 1990, N, Rioja, Moyobamba, Iquitos, Peru
- April 4, 1991, Rioja, Neuva Cajamarca, Peru
- November 28, 2021, Amazonas, Peru
- October 31, 2005, Northern Peru
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 5279.