December 20, 2017 Earthquake: Alborz, Iran
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Alborz, Iran on December 20, 2017 at 19:57:38 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 2 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
- December 20, 2017
- Time
- 19:57:38 UTC
- Place
- Alborz, Iran
- Magnitude
- 4.9 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 35.649° N, 50.962° E
- Country
- Iran
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 117
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.
Two people were killed and 115 reported as injured in the earthquake of 5.2 magnitude that struck Tehran and Alborz Wed. night, according to latest report by Emergency Operation Center. A 70-year-old woman died of heart attack and a 10-year-old girl from Alborz province lost her life due to the stress caused by the 5.2 earthquake that struck Alborz province and was felt in various surrounding cities, including Tehran. So far, 115 injured have been admitted to medical centers of the two provinces, of which 67 people have already been released and 48 been hospitalized. There have been no reports of notable property damage due to the earthquake. (reference #11972)
Two people killed and 117 injured at Tehran. Mahdasht, Teheran, Iran - CDI: 6; Samnan, Semnān, Iran - CDI: 5; Robat Karim, Teheran, Iran - CDI: 5; Karaj, Teheran, Iran - CDI: 4; Qazvin, Qazvin, Iran - CDI: 4(reference #13456)
2 deaths, 120 injured (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 15, 850, Rey (Ray), Iran
- June 7, 1755, Tabriz,kashan, N, Iran
- September 1, 1962, Buyin-Zara, Iran
- May 4, 1639, Qazvin, Iran
- January 23, 1909, Silakor, Iran
- April 20, 1608, Gilan, W Mazandaran, Iran
- 1574, Fin,kashan, Iran
- July 2, 1957, Hazanderan, Abegarm, Iran
- May 9, 1830, Damavand,tehran,semnan,damghan, Iran
- June 22, 2002, Ab Garm-Abhar-Avaj-Shirin Su, Iran
- March 5, 1935, Alborz, Iran
- May 28, 2004, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Tehran, Iran
- March 25, 1983, Tehran, Damavond, Amoi, Iran
- December 19, 1980, N Central, Tehran, Iran
- May 11, 1945, Garmsar,kerand,bankuh, Iran
More
Significant earthquakes of 2017The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2017Recent 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 10288.