Significant earthquakes of 2003

September 27, 2003 Earthquake: Kosh-Agach, Ust'-Ulagan, Ongudai, Shebalino, Russia

September 27, 2003 · M7.3 · 3 deaths · $10.6 million · 300 houses destroyed

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Kosh-Agach, Ust'-Ulagan, Ongudai, Shebalino, Russia on September 27, 2003 at 11:33:25 UTC, 16 km below the surface. It killed 3 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
September 27, 2003
Time
11:33:25 UTC
Place
Kosh-Agach, Ust'-Ulagan, Ongudai, Shebalino, Russia
Magnitude
7.3 (Mw)
Focal depth
16 km (10 mi)
Intensity
10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
50.038° N, 87.813° E
Country
Russia

The toll

Deaths
3
Injuries
5
Damage
$10.6 million
Houses destroyed
300

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.

Unconfirmed reports that 3 people died from heart attacks, more than 5 injured, 1,800 homeless, 300 houses destroyed (X), 1,942 buildings damaged and landslides occurred in the Kosh-Agach and Ust-Ulagan area. Significant damage also

reported at Ongudai and Shebalino. Damage estimated at

10.6 million U.S. dollars. Ground subsidence occurred

in the Chaganuzun area which created a flood of the

Chuya River. Felt (VII) at Aktash; (VI) at

Prokop'yevsk and Tashtagol; (IV) at Abakan and

Novosibirsk; (III) Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk and Zaysan.

Felt throughout southern Siberia. Also felt (IV) at

Semipalatinsk and Ust'-Kamenogorsk; (III) at Almaty,

Astana and Taldyqorghan, Kazakhstan. (above from reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 2003The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2003Recent 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 5725.