August 18, 1994 Earthquake: Mascara, Algeria
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Mascara, Algeria on August 18, 1994 at 01:13:05 UTC, 9 km below the surface. It killed 171 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 18, 1994
- Time
- 01:13:05 UTC
- Place
- Mascara, Algeria
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 9 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 35.520° N, 0.106° W
- Country
- Algeria
The toll
- Deaths
- 171
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
- Houses destroyed
- Very many (over 1,000)
- Houses damaged
- Very many (over 1,000)
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.
August 18, 1994. At least 159 people were killed, 289 injured, 8,000 to 10,000 left homeless and thousands of houses destroyed in Mascara Province. (reference #1053)
August 18, 1994, Mascara, Algeria, 171 deaths. (reference #1051)
August 18, 1994, Mascara, Algeria, 171 deaths. (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 10, 1980, Northern, Algeria
- October 9, 1790, Cartagena, Santa Fe, Oran, Spain, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, Orleansville, Algeria
- December 22, 1999, Ain Temouchent, Northern, Algeria
- November 29, 1887, Kalaa, Algeria
- July 13, 1967, Near Sig, Algeria
- January 9, 2008, Oran, Algeria
- June 6, 2008, Oran, Algeria
- January 26, 1987, Mohammadia, Qued, Fodda, Tissemsilt, Algeria
- March 1819, Mascara, Algeria
- August 25, 1922, Bordj Abou El Hasen, Dahra, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, El Asnam, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, El Asnam, Algeria
- September 9, 1954, El Asnam, Algeria
- May 23, 1857, Sea of Alboran, Algeria
More
Significant earthquakes of 1994The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1994Recent 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 5391.