March 28, 2005 Earthquake: SW, Sumatera, Indonesia
A magnitude 8.6 earthquake struck SW, Sumatera, Indonesia on March 28, 2005 at 16:09:36 UTC, 30 km below the surface. It killed 1,319 people, counting the tsunami it caused.
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
- March 28, 2005
- Time
- 16:09:36 UTC
- Place
- SW, Sumatera, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 8.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 30 km (19 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 2.085° N, 97.108° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Deaths
- 1,303; 1,319 with its tsunami and other effects
- Injuries
- 340
- Damage
- $37.4 million
- Houses destroyed
- 300
- Houses damaged
- 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.
At least 1,000 people killed, 300 injured and 300 buildings destroyed on Nias; 100 people killed, many injured and several buildings damaged on Simeulue; 200 people killed in Kepulauan Banyak; 3 people killed, 40 injured and some damage in the Meulaboh area, Sumatra. Felt (VIII) at Gunungsitoli and (VII) at Telukdalem, Nias. Felt (VI) at Banda Aceh and (V) at Medan, Padang and Palembang; (IV) at Jambi; (III) at Bengkulu. Felt (IV) along the west coast of Malaysia; (IV) at Bangkok and (III) at Phuket, Thailand; (III) in Singapore; (III) at Male, Maldives. The quake was also felt in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India and in Sri Lanka. (reference #1053)
2005, March 28, 16:09:37.51 UTC. 2.092 N, 97.154 E, 30 km depth, 8.62 Mw. (reference #10476, v.10)
2005, March 28, 16:09:36.53 UTC. 2.085 N, 97.108 E, 30 km depth, 8.6 Mw. (reference #13456, access date 2023)
$37,356,542 in economic loss (reference #13727)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 26, 2004, Off West Coast, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
- January 4, 1907, Gunungsitoli, Barus, NW Sumatra, Indonesia
- September 9, 1936, Tapanuli, Karo, N Sumatera, Indonesia
- September 5, 2011, Sumatra, Indonesia
- November 2, 2002, Simeulue, Sumatera, Indonesia
- February 20, 2008, Aceh Province, Sumatera, Indonesia
- April 25, 1987, N, Tarutung-Lake Toba,, Sumatera, Indonesia
- September 30, 2022, Sumatra, Indonesia
- January 22, 2008, Gunungsitoli, Nias Island, Sumatra, Indonesia
- July 25, 2012, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
- July 5, 2005, Gunungsitoli, Nias Island, Sumatra, Indonesia
- April 6, 2010, Sumatra, Indonesia
- January 5, 1843, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- November 11, 1852, Sibolga, Sumatra, Indonesia
- April 26, 1861, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 2005The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2005Recent 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 6657.