December 24, 2002 Earthquake: Kermanshah, Iran
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Kermanshah, Iran on December 24, 2002 at 17:03:02 UTC, 33 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
- December 24, 2002
- Time
- 17:03:02 UTC
- Place
- Kermanshah, Iran
- Magnitude
- 5.2 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 34.594° N, 47.454° E
- Country
- Iran
The toll
- Injuries
- 15
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 3,000
- Houses damaged
- 3,000
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.
Fifteen people injured and about 3,000 homes, previously damaged by the earthquake on April 24 at 17:03 UTC, were destroyed in Kermanshah Province. Felt in Hamadan, Kordestan and Lorestan Provinces. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- November 18, 871, Saimareh, Iran
- December 13, 1957, Farsinaj, Iran
- November 12, 2017, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Iraq, Iran
- June 22, 2002, Ab Garm-Abhar-Avaj-Shirin Su, Iran
- August 16, 1958, Firuzabad, Iran
- December 2, 1864, Zurbatiyah, Badrah, Tursaq, Baghdad, Iraq
- March 31, 2006, Borujerd, Dorud, Western, Iran
- April 24, 2002, Kermanshah, Western, Iran
- May 29, 1987, W, Nahavand-Hamaden-Tuysarkan, Iran
- August 25, 2018, Kermanshah, Iran
- October 14, 1961, Iran
- November 25, 2018, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Iraq, Iran
- September 16, 1872, Songhor(Sonqor), Iran
- April 912, Dinavar, Iran
- March 24, 1963, Karkhaneh, Iran
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 5668.