World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 1970
Historic Earthquake
1970 Ancash Earthquake
31 May 1970 · Northern, Pisco · Peru
On 31 May 1970 at 20:23 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Peru (Northern, Pisco), at a depth of 43 km. It occurred on the South American Plate, 190 km from its boundary with the Nazca Plate (subduction zone). It killed at least 66,794 people and injured 50,000. It is the 10th deadliest of the earthquakes recorded since 1900.
- Date
- 31 May 1970
- Time
- 20:23 UTC
- Magnitude
- 7.9
- Depth
- 43 km
- Maximum Intensity
- X (Mercalli)
- Deaths
- 66,794
- Injuries
- 50,000
- Estimated Damage
- 530 million US dollars
- Tsunami
- See the tsunami (0.5 m wave)
- Plate
- South American Plate
- Country
- Peru
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 19961996 Chimbote Earthquake · M 7.512 deaths
- 1967Off Coast · M 7.0
- 19661966 Peru Earthquake · M 8.1110 deaths
- 1963Huayllacayan, Cajacay · M 7.01 deaths
- 19461946 Ancash Earthquake · M 7.3800 deaths
- 19401940 Lima and Callao Earthquake · M 8.2179 deaths
- 1937Huancabamba, Oxapampa · M 6.515 deaths
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth