June 25, 1997 Earthquake: Birjand, Qayen, Iran

Date

June 25, 1997

Time

19:38:40 UTC

Place

Birjand, Qayen, Iran

Magnitude

5.9 (Mw)

Focal depth

10 km (6 mi)

Tsunami

None recorded

Epicenter

33.938° N, 59.475° E

Country

Iran

Damage

Moderate (about $1 to $5 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with its tsunami and other effects

Houses destroyed

100

Houses damaged

5,000

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.

• October 21, 1336, Khaf, IranM7.6 · 20,000 deaths · 87 km
• August 31, 1968, Dasht-E-Bayaz, IranM7.1 · 10,488 deaths · $35 million · 12,000 houses destroyed · 44 km
• January 30, 1549, Qayen (Qain),khorasan, Iran3,000 deaths · 60 km
• May 10, 1997, Birjand, Ghaen, Afghanistan, IranM7.2 · 1,728 deaths · $100 million · 10,533 houses destroyed · 33 km
• December 19, 1618, Dughabad,khorasan, Iran800 deaths · 180 km
• February 16, 1941, Mohammadabad, IranM6.3 · 730 deaths · 79 km
• September 1, 1968, Ferdow, IranM6.2 · 700 deaths · 1,500 houses destroyed · 118 km
• September 23, 1947, Dustabad, IranM6.9 · 500 deaths · 85 km
• December 14, 1925, Bajestan, IranM5.5 · 500 deaths · 146 km
• September 25, 1903, Kashmar, IranM5.9 · 350 deaths · 183 km
• November 14, 1979, Khorasan, IranM6.6 · 171 deaths · 216 houses destroyed · 33 km
• January 16, 1979, Bonzanabad, IranM6.5 · 129 deaths · 1,700 houses destroyed · 8 km
• November 27, 1979, IranM7.1 · 20 deaths · 35 km
• April 1, 1962, Mussavieh, IranM5.8 · 20 deaths · 90 km
• November 7, 1976, Khorasan Province, IranM6 · 17 deaths · 27 km

Significant earthquakes of 1997The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1997Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history

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 5466.