September 21, 2009 Earthquake: Tashigang, Bhutan
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Tashigang, Bhutan on September 21, 2009 at 08:53:05 UTC, 14 km below the surface. It killed 11 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 21, 2009
- Time
- 08:53:05 UTC
- Place
- Tashigang, Bhutan
- Magnitude
- 6.1 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 14 km (9 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 27.332° N, 91.437° E
- Country
- Bhutan
The toll
- Deaths
- 11
- Injuries
- Many (about 101 to 1,000) with its tsunami and other effects
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
- 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 eleven people killed and dozens injured in Mongar and Tashigang. Many buildings destroyed and many roads damaged throughout Bhutan. Cracks appeared in buildings at Guwahati, India. Felt (VI) at Tashigang and (IV) at Thimphu, Bhutan. Also felt at Tshongdue. Felt (II) at Calcutta, India. Also felt at Barpeta, Bidhannagar, Dispur, Guwahati,
Kalimpong, Mussoorie, Nagaon, Nalbari, North Dum Dum,
Patna, Shillong, Silchar, Tezpur and Tura. Felt in
northern Bangladesh, at Lhasa, China and at Kathmandu,
Nepal. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- June 12, 1897, Assam, Bangladesh, India
- June 11, 1806, Shannan (Lhoka), Tibet (Xizang Province), China
- April 28, 2021, Assam, India
- September 12, 2018, West Bengal, India
- December 31, 2009, Dametsi, Bhutan
- October 29, 2009, Mongar, Pemagatsel, Tashigang, Bhutan
- February 23, 2006, Tashigang, Bhutan
- June 28, 2015, Kokrajhar, India
- 1713, Arunachal, Bhutan, India
- May 11, 2012, Kamrup, Guwahati, Assam, India
More
Significant earthquakes of 2009The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2009Recent 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 8392.