November 27, 1945 Tsunami: Makran Coast, Pakistan

1945, Nov 28. Mekran Coast, northern Arabian Sea. Epicenter 24 deg 12 min N., 62 deg 36 min E., time 21:56:40 UTC, magnitude 6.65. The sea wave swept the whole of the Arabian sea coast causing casualties as far away as Bombay, and producing noticeable effects at Karwar about 1,000 miles from epicenter. Waves supposedly, caused by the shock, were recorded on the tide gauge at Victoria, Mahe Island, Seychelles, about 1780 miles away. (ref #42)

More than 4000 people were killed at Pasni and Ormara on the Makran coast by both earthquake and tsunami (Ambraseys and Melville, 1982)(ref #1117). The earthquake was also characterized by the eruption of a mud volcano, a few km off the Makran coast, which are common features in western Pakistan. It led to the formation of four small islands. A large volume of gas that erupted from one of the islands, sent flames leaping "hundreds of meters" into the sky (Mathur, 1998). The tsunami reached a height of 17 m in some Makran ports and caused great damage to the entire coastal region, A good number of people were washed away. (ref #6425)

The tsunami was reported as a 0.5-m wave in the Seychelles 3,400 km to the southeast; it broke mooring ropes at 13 deg N on the Malabar coast and was noticed at Muscat on the Oman coast. At Pasni a small wave arrived soon after the mainshock, but according to Pendse (1948, ref#10984), who does not cite his source, the damaging tsunami did not arrive until 3.25 hours later. Pendse (1948) also describes the damaging 1.5-m wave at Karachi as having followed three earlier, smaller waves during the previous two hours. Ambraseys and Melville (1982, ref #1117) indicate that two damaging waves arrived at Pasni 90 and 120 minutes after the mainshock. Although accounts conflict to some extent, it appears that the largest tsunami wave did not arrive at Pasni until several hours following the mainshock. There are many possible explanations for this delay, the most likely of which is that it was caused by one or more submarine landslides triggered by the earthquake. (ref #8275)

The total number of casualties due to the tsunami is difficult to assess given the lack of precise reports and the impossibility to separate victims of the earthquake and of the waves. It could be as high as several thousand, but is given conservatively as 300 by Ambraseys and Melville (1982)(ref #1117). A most remarkable aspect of the 1945 tsunami is that its main waves were significantly delayed (avg 2.5 h) with respect to the earthquake. (ref #11443)

Total number of casualties along the entire area of impact is estimated in the order of a couple of hundreds. Reports of several thousand casualties are exaggerated and derive from early estimations that were not confirmed [...] The number derives from an initial report which has been modified later. (ref #10942)

Commenting on the Congressmen’s estimates of the loss of 4,000 lives, the Chief Secretary remarked: ‘they were highly exaggerated. The coastline is sparsely populated’ (ref #13121)

THE TOTAL LOSS OF LIFE “does not seem to have exceeded 300,” including 20 deaths from building collapse in Ormara, according to Ambraseys and Melville (1982, p. 89–90). Death tolls [...] which total 305 (ref #12912)