January 26, 2001 Earthquake: Bhuj, Ahmadabad, Rajokot, Pakistan, Gujarat, India
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Bhuj, Ahmadabad, Rajokot, Pakistan, Gujarat, India on January 26, 2001 at 03:16:42 UTC, 17 km below the surface. It killed 20,005 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
- January 26, 2001
- Time
- 03:16:42 UTC
- Place
- Bhuj, Ahmadabad, Rajokot, Pakistan, Gujarat, India
- Magnitude
- 7.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 17 km (11 mi)
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 23.388° N, 70.326° E
- Country
- India
The toll
- Deaths
- 20,005
- Injuries
- 166,836
- Damage
- $2.6 billion
- Houses destroyed
- 339,000
- Houses damaged
- 339,000
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.
From Reference #1053: At least 20,005 people killed, 166,836 injured, approximately 339,000 buildings destroyed and 783,000 damaged in the Bhuj-Ahmadabad-Rajkot area and other parts of Gujarat. Many bridges and roads damaged in Gujarat. At least 18 people killed and some injured in southern Pakistan. Felt throughout northern India and much of Pakistan. Also felt in Bangladesh and western Nepal. The earthquake occurred along an approximately east-west trending thrust fault at shallow depth. The stress that caused this earthquake is due to the Indian plate pushing northward into the Eurasian plate.
Reference #1250 lists 20,005 killed, 166,812 injured, 1,790,000 homeless, 4,365,000 affected and $2,623 million in damage.
Reference #1252 lists more than 18,000 killed, about 167,000 injured, 332,000 houses destroyed and nearly $1.3 billion in property damage.
Reference #1240 lists intensity X.
Reference #13294: The Bhuj event is the first devastating earthquake of the twenty first century. This event claimed a death toll of ~20,000 human lives.
Reference #10476 (v 9.1): 2001 January 26 03:16:42.81. UTC, 23.388 N 70.326 E, magnitude 7.63 Mw
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 2001The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2001Recent 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 5589.