ERZINCAN — 1939 · Major Tragedy

1939 Erzincan Earthquake

At around 01:57 local time on the night of 27 December 1939, an earthquake recorded at surface-wave magnitude 7.9 struck Erzincan. Rated at the maximum intensity of XII, the shock caught a sleeping population in the middle of winter. According to official records, 32,968 people died, more than 100,000 were injured and 116,720 buildings were destroyed. The town of Erzincan was almost completely levelled and was later rebuilt to the north of its original site. Harsh winter conditions, poor transport links and damage to the railway delayed relief efforts. The earthquake is known as the first in a sequence of major shocks that migrated westward along the North Anatolian Fault between 1939 and 1999, and it is considered Turkey's deadliest natural disaster of the 20th century. It became a turning point for building codes and disaster organisation in Turkey.

Date

1939

Place

Central, Erzincan

Category

Major Tragedy

Case Status

Closed

Coordinates

39.7500, 39.4900 ↗

🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.