February 19, 2001 Earthquake: Dienbien Phu, Laos, Vietnam
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Dienbien Phu, Laos, Vietnam on February 19, 2001 at 15:51:35 UTC, 10 km below the surface.
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
- February 19, 2001
- Time
- 15:51:35 UTC
- Place
- Dienbien Phu, Laos, Vietnam
- Magnitude
- 4.9 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 21.396° N, 102.715° E
- Country
- Laos
The toll
- Injuries
- 4
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses damaged
- 2,174
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.
LAOS. Several people injured and many buildings damaged at Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam. (reference #1053)
The 2001 Dien Bien Phu earthquake which occurred on 19 Feb 2001, had the epicenter in Nam Oun (Laos), about 15 km from Dien Bien Phu city. The recorded magnitude was 5.3 on the Richter scale and the intensity was between VII and VIII. There were hundreds of aftershocks of which the strongest had magnitude up to 4.9. The quake damaged almost all masonry structures in the region and injured 4 people but no one was killed. The effects on constructions were quite severe: 130 houses were damaged and had to be reconstructed, 1044 houses needed to be strengthened or retrofitted and 2044 houses were slightly damaged. The quake had very severe social and economic impact on the people and the local government in the region. (reference #12758)
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 10513.