May 18, 2002 Earthquake: Bunda, Tanzania
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Bunda, Tanzania on May 18, 2002 at 15:15:08 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 2 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
- May 18, 2002
- Time
- 15:15:08 UTC
- Place
- Bunda, Tanzania
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 2.907° S, 33.733° E
- Country
- Tanzania
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 690
- Houses damaged
- 700
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.
Two people killed, more than 400 families homeless, at
least 690 huts collapsed and 700 damaged in the Bunda
area, Tanzania. Felt in the Nairobi-Nakuru-Kericho
area, Kenya. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 2002The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2002Recent 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 5636.