Significant earthquakes of 1995

October 3, 1995 Earthquake: Quito, Ecuador

October 3, 1995 · M7 · 2 deaths · 83 houses destroyed

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Quito, Ecuador on October 3, 1995 at 01:51:23 UTC, 24 km below the surface. It killed 2 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
October 3, 1995
Time
01:51:23 UTC
Place
Quito, Ecuador
Magnitude
7 (Mw)
Focal depth
24 km (15 mi)
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
2.750° S, 77.881° W
Country
Ecuador

The toll

Deaths
2
Injuries
5
Damage
Limited (under about $1 million)
Houses destroyed
83

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.

1995, Oct 3. Two people killed, 5 injured and at least 83 homes damaged or destroyed in Ecuador. Some damage at Archidona,

Canelos, Limon, Macas, Mendez, Patuca, Puyo, Santiago,

Sucua and Tena, Ecuador. Slight damage (V) at Quito,

Ecuador. Felt (V) at Ayabaca; (IV) at Chachapoyas and

Moyobamba; (III) at Chulucanas, Jaen and Tumbes; (II)

at Tarapoto, Peru. Felt in many parts of Ecuador, Peru

and in Colombia as far north as Bogota. Two events

about 3.6 seconds apart. (reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1995The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1995Recent 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 5420.