List of earthquakes in 1974
# List of earthquakes in 1974

This is a list of earthquakes in 1974. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. Activity was once again below average with 11 events reaching magnitude 7+. The largest came in October in Peru when a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Lima. Other magnitude 7.0+ events shook the Caribbean, China and the southwest Pacific Islands. Two events dominated the 25,000 deaths during 1974. China was struck by a magnitude 6.8 event in May with upwards of 20,000 deaths. At the end of the year, Pakistan was struck by a modest 6.2 magnitude earthquake causing 5,300 deaths. Gabon in central Africa was hit by a rare earthquake in September.

## Overall

### By death toll

| Rank | Death toll | Magnitude | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 20,000 | 6.8 | China, Sichuan Province | VII (Very strong) | 11.0 | May 10 |
| 2 | 5,300 | 6.2 | Pakistan, Kyhber Pakhtunkhwa | VIII (Severe) | 22.0 | December 28 |
| 3 | 78 | 7.6 | Peru, off the coast of Lima | IX (Violent) | 13.0 | October 3 |
| 4 | 30 | 6.5 | Japan, off the south coast of Honshu | IX (Violent) | 2.0 | May 8 |
| 5 | 11 | 7.3 | Panama, Darien Province | VIII (Severe) | 12.0 | July 13 |
| 6 | 10 | 6.3 | Peru, Lima Region | VI (Strong) | 98.0 | January 5 |

* Note: At least 10 casualties

### By magnitude

| Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 7.6 | 78 | Peru, off the coast of Lima | IX (Violent) | 13.0 | October 3 |
| 2 | 7.5 | 0 | Antigua and Barbuda | VIII (Severe) | 47.0 | October 8 |
| = 3 | 7.3 | 11 | Panama, Darien Province | VIII (Severe) | 12.0 | July 13 |
| = 3 | 7.3 | 0 | China, western Xinjiang Province | VIII (Severe) | 9.0 | August 11 |
| = 4 | 7.2 | 0 | New Hebrides, Vanuatu | VII (Very strong) | 34.0 | January 10 |
| = 4 | 7.2 | 0 | New Zealand, Kermadec Islands | ( ) | 33.0 | July 2 |
| = 4 | 7.2 | 0 | Australia, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Papua New Guinea | V (Moderate) | 48.0 | October 23 |
| = 4 | 7.2 | 0 | Peru, off the coast of Lima | VI (Strong) | 6.0 | November 9 |
| = 5 | 7.1 | 0 | United Kingdom, Solomon Islands | IX (Violent) | 40.0 | February 1 |
| = 5 | 7.1 | 0 | Chile, Araucania Region | VIII (Severe) | 36.0 | August 18 |
| 6 | 7.0 | 0 | United Kingdom, Solomon Islands | VIII (Severe) | 34.0 | January 31 |

* Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

## Notable events

### January

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 2 | Chile, Antofagasta Region | 6.4 | 105.0 | VI | | | |
| 5 | Peru, Lima Region | 6.3 | 98.0 | VI | 10 people were killed and at least 101 were injured. Major damage was caused. | 10 | 101+ |
| 10 | New Hebrides, Vanuatu | 7.2 | 34.0 | VII | Aftershock of December 28, 1973 event. | | |
| 26 | Mexico, Michoacan | 6.1 | 33.0 | VI | | | |
| 30 | Indonesia, Aru Islands | 6.3 | 33.0 | V | | | |
| 31 | United Kingdom, Solomon Islands | 7.0 | 34.0 | VIII | | | |

### February

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 1 | Turkey, Izmir Province | 5.2 | 29.0 | V | 2 people were killed and 20 were injured. | 2 | 20 |
| 1 | United Kingdom, Solomon Islands | 7.1 | 40.0 | IX | A tsunami caused some damage in the area. | | |
| 6 | United States, Unimak Island, Alaska | 6.5 | 2.0 | V | | | |
| 16 | India, Andaman Islands | 6.0 | 25.0 | rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. | | |
| 16 | India, Andaman Islands | 6.1 | 33.0 | VI | | | |
| 19 | Philippines, Luzon | 6.1 | 17.0 | VII | | | |
| 28 | New Zealand, off the north coast of North Island | 6.2 | 15.0 | | | | |
| 28 | Costa Rica, off the west coast | 6.2 | 46.0 | VI | | | |

### March

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 3 | New Hebrides, Vanuatu | 6.1 | 17.0 | VI | | | |
| 9 | United Kingdom, Solomon Islands | 6.5 | 50.0 | rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. Aftershock of February 1 event. | | |
| 9 | United Kingdom, Solomon Islands | 6.6 | 33.0 | V | | | |

### April

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 18 | Colombia, Santander Department | 5.0 | 24.0 | V | 4 people were killed and 10 were injured. Some damage was caused. | 4 | 10 |
| 22 | China, Jiangsu Province | 5.5 | 33.0 | VII | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 27 | Tonga, south of | 6.1 | 45.0 | | Although not a notable event this was the largest of 2 events globally that measured above magnitude 6.0 during the month. | | |

### May

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 8 | Japan, off the south coast of Honshu | 6.5 | 2.0 | IX | The 1974 Izu Peninsula earthquake left 30 people dead and 102 injured. 134 homes were destroyed. | 30 | 102 |
| 10 | China, Sichuan Province | 6.8 | 11.0 | VII | Deadliest event of 1974. 20,000 people were killed in the 1974 Zhaotong earthquake. Many homes were destroyed. | 20,000 | |
| 15 | Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia | 6.1 | 56.0 | V | | | |
| 17 | Peru, Junin Region | 6.0 | 111.0 | IV | | | |
| 17 | Indonesia, West Java | 6.0 | 131.0 | IV | | | |
| 26 | New Hebrides, Vanuatu | 6.0 | 13.0 | IV | Foreshock. | | |
| 26 | New Hebrides, Vanuatu | 6.2 | 7.0 | | | | |
| 31 | Mexico, Gulf of California | 6.3 | 33.0 | V | | | |

### June

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 12 | Venezuela, Sucre (state) | 6.1 | 34.0 | VIII | 5 people were killed and at least 1 person was injured. Some damage was caused with costs reaching $2.5 million (1974 rate). | 5 | 1+ |
| 20 | Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5.1 | 33.0 | VII | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 27 | Australia, off the east coast of New Britain, Papua New Guinea | 6.1 | 70.0 | V | | | |

### July

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 1 | Bolivia, Tarija Department | 5.9 | 13.0 | VI | Some damage was reported. | | |
| 2 | New Zealand, Kermadec Islands | 7.2 | 33.0 | | | | |
| 3 | New Zealand, Kermadec Islands | 6.6 | 33.0 | | Aftershock. | | |
| 4 | Mongolia, Govi-Altai Province | 6.7 | 33.0 | VIII | | | |
| 8 | Japan, off the east coast of Honshu | 6.0 | 35.0 | IV | | | |
| 13 | Panama, Darien Province | 7.3 | 12.0 | VIII | 11 people were killed and at least 1 person was injured. Some damage was caused. | 11 | 1+ |
| 30 | Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province | 6.5 | 211.0 | V | | | |

### August

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 3 | Japan, Chiba Prefecture, Honshu | 5.6 | 58.0 | VI | 2 people died and 17 were injured. Some damage was caused. | 2 | 17 |
| 8 | Taiwan, off the east coast of | 6.0 | 32.0 | V | | | |
| 11 | China, western Xinjiang Province | 7.3 | 9.0 | VIII | | | |
| 11 | Soviet Union, Osh Region, Kyrgyzstan | 6.1 | 9.0 | VII | Aftershock of China event. | | |
| 18 | Chile, Araucania Region | 7.1 | 36.0 | VIII | Some damage was caused. | | |

### September

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 7 | Indonesia, off the south coast of Java | 6.5 | 33.0 | | | | |
| 23 | Gabon, Ogooue-Lolo Province | 6.2 | 33.0 | VIII | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 27 | Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia | 6.7 | 43.0 | VII | | | |

### October

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 3 | Peru, off the coast of Lima | 7.6 | 13.0 | IX | Largest event of 1974. 78 people were killed and 2,414 were injured in the 1974 Lima earthquake. Many homes were destroyed. Costs were $10 million (1974 rate). | 78 | 2,414 |
| 8 | Antigua and Barbuda | 7.5 | 47.0 | VIII | 4 injuries were reported and some damage was caused by the 1974 Lesser Antilles earthquake. | | 4 |
| 10 | Indonesia, southern Sumatra | 6.0 | 21.0 | VI | | | |
| 23 | Australia, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Papua New Guinea | 7.2 | 48.0 | V | | | |
| 27 | New Hebrides, Vanuatu | 6.3 | 36.0 | VI | | | |
| 29 | Indonesia, Banda Sea | 6.5 | 117.0 | | | | |

### November

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 8 | Japan, off the south coast of Hokkaido | 6.0 | 132.0 | IV | | | |
| 9 | Peru, off the coast of Lima | 7.2 | 6.0 | VI | Aftershock of October 3 event. | | |
| 9 | Indonesia, Sunda Strait | 6.1 | 51.0 | V | | | |
| 19 | Australia, off the west coast of New Ireland (island), Papua New Guinea | 6.1 | 18.0 | V | | | |
| 20 | New Hebrides, off the east coast of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu | 6.9 | 33.0 | VII | | | |

### December

| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date | Country and location | $M_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 2 | Iran, Hormozgan Province | 5.4 | 36.0 | V | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 3 | Indonesia, Banda Sea | 6.5 | 33.0 | V | | | |
| 4 | Indonesia, south of Nias | 6.9 | 20.0 | VII | | | |
| 5 | Peru, Ucayali Region | 6.0 | 162.0 | | | | |
| 24 | Indonesia, Mentawai Islands | 6.8 | 33.0 | VI | | | |
| 28 | Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 6.2 | 22.0 | VIII | 5,300 people were killed and 17,000 were hurt in the 1974 Hunza earthquake. Many homes were damaged or destroyed. Costs were $3.255 million (1974 rate). | 5,300 | 17,000 |
| 31 | Guatemala, off the west coast | 6.1 | 39.0 | VI | | | |
