January 17, 2002 Earthquake: Gisenyi, Rwanda

Name: January 17, 2002 Earthquake: Gisenyi, Rwanda
Start: 2002-01-17
Location: Gisenyi, Rwanda

January 17, 2002 · M4.7 · 1,001 deaths · 307 houses destroyed

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck Gisenyi, Rwanda on January 17, 2002 at 20:01:29 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It killed 1,001 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 17, 2002
Time: 20:01:29 UTC
Place: Gisenyi, Rwanda
Magnitude: 4.7 (mb)
Focal depth: 15 km (9 mi)
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 1.684° S, 29.077° E
Country: Rwanda

The toll

Deaths: Few (about 1 to 50); 1,001 with its tsunami and other effects
Injuries: 400 with its tsunami and other effects
Damage: Moderate (about $1 to $5 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with its tsunami and other effects
Houses destroyed: 307

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.

Several people killed and at least 307 buildings

destroyed in the Gisenyi area, Rwanda. Felt at

Kimironko, Rwanda. This is one of the largest of a

series of earthquakes associated with the eruption of

Volcan Nyiragongo, Congo. Lava flows from this

eruption killed at least 45 people, destroyed parts of

14 villages and caused damage to about one-half of the

city of Goma, Congo. The series of earthquakes has

caused subsidence of about 70 cm at Bukavu, 50 cm at

Goma and 50 cm on Idjwi, Congo. (reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 2002 The 2000s Every quake the USGS located in 2002 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 5618.