August 15, 2002 Earthquake: Tojo, Sulawesi, Indonesia
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Tojo, Sulawesi, Indonesia on August 15, 2002 at 05:30:26 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 48 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
- August 15, 2002
- Time
- 05:30:26 UTC
- Place
- Tojo, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 6.2 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 1.196° S, 121.333° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Deaths
- 48
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- 200
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.
At least 48 people injured and several hundred
buildings damaged in the Tojo area. Felt (V) at Poso,
(IV) at Soroako and (III) at Luwuk and Palu. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 28, 2018, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- December 1, 1927, Donggala, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- May 19, 1938, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia
- August 18, 2012, Sigi, Parigi Mountong, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- June 16, 2026, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia
- August 16, 2025, Poso, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- August 26, 2021, Tojo Una-Una, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia
- April 12, 2019, Luwuk, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia
- January 23, 2005, Palu, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- September 28, 2018, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- April 29, 1960, Una-Una Island, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia
- July 30, 1907, Lemo, Colo, Anja, Olu Congko, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- May 29, 2017, Poso, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- August 6, 2023, Sigi, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- July 9, 2005, Donggala, Sulawesi, Indonesia
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 5644.