March 28, 1999 Earthquake: Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, India
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, India on March 28, 1999 at 19:05:11 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It killed 100 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
- March 28, 1999
- Time
- 19:05:11 UTC
- Place
- Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, India
- Magnitude
- 6.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 15 km (9 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 30.512° N, 79.403° E
- Country
- India
The toll
- Deaths
- 100
- Injuries
- 394
- Damage
- $70 million; Extreme (about $25 million or more) with its tsunami and other effects
- Houses destroyed
- 21,100
- Houses damaged
- 21,100
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.
At least 61 people killed and 125 injured in the Chamoli district; 34 killed and 177 injured in the Rudraprayag district; 5 killed and 60 injured in the Tehri Garhwal district; 19 injured in the Bageshwar district; 13 injured in the Pauri Garhwal district, India. Over 21,100 houses destroyed. Many landslides blocked roads in the epicentral area. (reference #1053)
$70,000,000 damage. (reference #1250
The maximum intensity was VIII on MSK scale (at Upper and Lower Chamoli and at Upper Birahi). (reference #1267)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 19, 1991, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, New Delhi, Chandigarh, India
- July 29, 1980, Pithoragarh, Nepal-India
- June 27, 1966, Nepal-India
- December 14, 2005, Jausari, Chamoli, Nandprayag, India
- September 1, 1803, Uttarakhand, Mathura (Muttra), India
- May 1, 2010, Chamoli, India
- August 16, 2005, Uttarkahi, Uttaranchal, India
- July 22, 2007, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Muzaffarnagar, India
- June 22, 2010, Tauli, India
- May 30, 1833, Lohughar, India
- April 4, 2011, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal-India
- August 28, 1916, Nepal, Tibet (Xizang Province)
More
Significant earthquakes of 1999The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1999Recent 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 5519.