1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake

The epicentre was placed 40 km west of Rima, also called Zayü or Chayu, in southeastern Tibet, where eyewitnesses reported the greatest severity of shaking. It was destructive in both Assam and Tibet, with 1,526 fatalities recorded in Assam and another 3,300 reported in Tibet. Shaking was felt across northeast India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Tibet and southern China, over an area of 3 million square kilometres, and Heinrich Harrer reported strong shaking and loud cracking noises from the earth at Lhasa.

Origin time (UTC)

1950-08-15T14:09

Magnitude

8.6

Magnitude type

mw

Depth (km)

15

Deaths, as sources state them

approximately 4,800, comprising 1,526 in Assam and about 3,300 in Tibet

USGS event page

earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official19500815140934_30

Category: Disasters & Incidents

Tags: earthquake, india, tibet, assam, china, himalaya

Coordinates: 28.363, 96.445

Part of Earthquakes of magnitude 7 and above in the Himalaya since 1930

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