May 28, 2004 Earthquake: Mazandaran, Qazvin, Tehran, Iran
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Mazandaran, Qazvin, Tehran, Iran on May 28, 2004 at 12:38:44 UTC, 17 km below the surface. It killed 35 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 28, 2004
- Time
- 12:38:44 UTC
- Place
- Mazandaran, Qazvin, Tehran, Iran
- Magnitude
- 6.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 17 km (11 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 36.290° N, 51.610° E
- Country
- Iran
The toll
- Deaths
- 35
- Injuries
- 400
- Damage
- $165 million
- Houses destroyed
- 3,880
- Houses damaged
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
At least 35 people killed, 400 injured and many buildings damaged in Mazandaran and Qazvin Provinces. Some of the deaths were caused by landslides on the Tehran- Chalus road. Minor damage reported in Tehran. Felt in much of central and northern Iran. Felt (IV) at Lankaran and (III) at Baku, Azerbaijan. Felt (II) at Makhachkala, Russia. (reference #1053)
165m USD total damage (reference #1250)
35 killed, 278 injured, 3880 houses destroyed, magnitude 6.4 (Ms) and 6.3 (Mw), MMI 8, 15.4m USD direct losses (reference #12864)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 15, 850, Rey (Ray), Iran
- September 1, 1962, Buyin-Zara, Iran
- May 4, 1639, Qazvin, Iran
- April 20, 1608, Gilan, W Mazandaran, Iran
- July 2, 1957, Hazanderan, Abegarm, Iran
- May 20, 1932, Torbet-I-Kheydarly, Iran
- April 11, 1935, Kevsut, Alborz, Sari, Iran
- May 9, 1830, Damavand,tehran,semnan,damghan, Iran
- March 5, 1935, Alborz, Iran
- March 25, 1983, Tehran, Damavond, Amoi, Iran
- May 11, 1945, Garmsar,kerand,bankuh, Iran
- June 21, 1990, Lowshan, Manjil, Iran
- May 7, 2020, Tehran, Damavand, Iran
- December 20, 2017, Alborz, Iran
- October 2, 1930, Ah,mobarakabad,ab Ali,sarpurak, Iran
More
Significant earthquakes of 2004The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2004Recent 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 5783.