May 10, 1997 Earthquake: Birjand, Ghaen, Afghanistan, Iran

At least 1,567 people killed, 2,300 injured, 50,000 homeless, 10,533 houses destroyed, 5,474 houses damaged and landslides in the Birjand-Qayen area. Five people killed and some damage in the Herat area, Afghanistan. Felt in Kerman, Khorasan, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan and Yazd Provinces, Iran. This earthquake appears to have occurred on a southern splay of the Ferdows fault. The left-lateral, strike-slip Ferdows fault was the site of the 1968 Dasht-e- Bayaz earthquake (magnitude 7.3) which resulted in 12,000- 20,000 casualties. The Ferdows fault is north of the Zagros Mountains (the latter being the northern boundary of the Arabian plate). Understanding the tectonics of the Ferdows region is complicated by indistinct boundaries of the several microplates at that collision zone. (reference #1053)

Reference #1271 lists $90 million damage.

Reference #1264 lists $500 million damage and MMI X.

Reference #1250 lists $100m damage (Iran) and $10m damage (Afghanistan) and 1573 (1568 Iran, 5 Afghanistan) deaths, 2600 injured (Iran).

Reference #12864 lists $150m damage and 1568 deaths, 5059 injured, 259 villages destroyed, 17 630 houses destroyed, magnitude 7.2 (Ms) and 7.1 (Mw), MMI 9.