World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 2003
Historic Earthquake
2003 Boumerdès Earthquake
21 May 2003 · Algiers, Boumerdes · Algeria
On 21 May 2003 at 18:44 UTC, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Algeria (Algiers, Boumerdes), at a depth of 12 km. It occurred on the Eurasian Plate, 21 km from its boundary with the African Plate (continental collision). It killed at least 2,287 people and injured 11,000. 19,000 homes were destroyed. It is the 92nd deadliest of the earthquakes recorded since 1900.
- Date
- 21 May 2003
- Time
- 18:44 UTC
- Magnitude
- 6.8
- Depth
- 12 km
- Maximum Intensity
- X (Mercalli)
- Deaths
- 2,287
- Injuries
- 11,000
- Homes Destroyed
- 19,000
- Homes Damaged
- 163,000
- Estimated Damage
- 5.0 billion US dollars
- Tsunami
- See the tsunami (3.0 m wave)
- Plate
- Eurasian Plate
- Country
- Algeria
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 19891989 Chenoua Earthquake · M 5.730 deaths
- 19801980 El Asnam Earthquake · M 7.15,000 deaths
- 1960Melouza · M 5.647 deaths
- 19541954 Chlef Earthquake · M 6.71,243 deaths
- 1946Earthquake in France · M 5.6264 deaths
- 1910Masqueray, Kabylia · M 6.412 deaths
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth