June 17, 978 Earthquake: Taheri (Siraf), Iran
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Taheri (Siraf), Iran on June 17, 978. It killed 2,000 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
- June 17, 978
- Place
- Taheri (Siraf), Iran
- Magnitude
- 5.3 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 27.700° N, 52.300° E
- Country
- Iran
The toll
- Deaths
- 2,000
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 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.
June 17, 978, 27.7 N, 52.3 E, magnitude 5.3. A locally destructive earthquake occurred at the port of Siraf in Fars on Sunday 7 Dhu' l-Qa'da 367. Most of the houses in the town were damaged or destroyed and more than 2000 people were killed. Aftershocks continued for a week and the inhabitants took to the sea. (reference #1117)
June 17, 978, 27.7 N, 52.3 E, intensity VII, magnitude 5.3 or 6.5, 200 or 2000 killed. (reference #3437)
On 17 June 978 A.D. the port town of Siraf, Iran, located in the Bushehr Province along the northeastern Persian Gulf coast - near the present port of Taheri - was struck by an earthquake which killed about 100 people. According to historical records the land shook for seven days and that some of the buildings of the town fell into the sea (McEvilly and Razini, 1973). Although there is no mention that this event generated a specific tsunami, forty years later in 1008 A.D. another earthquake (see event below) reportedly did (reference #4083)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- April 11, 1008, Dainawar, Iran-Iraq
- April 10, 1972, Qir,karzin, Jahrom, Firuzabad, Iran
- August 1880, Bastak, Jonah, Iran
- April 9, 2013, Shanbe, Kaki, Sena, Bushehr Province, Iran
- January 19, 1950, Bushire, Iran
- March 24, 1913, Teyhan, Iran
- November 13, 1998, Bigherd-Khonj, Southern, Iran
- January 6, 2017, Khonj, Iran
- June 20, 1994, Firuzabad, Shiraz, Iran
- December 18, 1925, Ahram,domrubah,mahmudabadi,ab Garm, Iran
- March 1, 1994, Firuzabad, Southern, Iran
- August 20, 1954, Tonbak,kangan,sabakhi,akhtar, Iran
- February 17, 2002, Baghan, Iran
- February 2, 1985, S, Firuzabad-Jahrom, Iran
- April 1953, Khan-E-Zenyan,khatiri, Iran
More
Significant earthquakes of 978The 900sRecent 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 298.