1939 Chillán earthquake

1939 Chillán earthquake
Chillán
UTC time1939-01-25 03:32:14
ISC event901785
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local dateJanuary 24, 1939 (1939-01-24)
Local time23:32
Magnitude8.3 Ms
Depth60; 80–100 km
Epicenter36°12′00″S 72°12′00″W / 36.20000°S 72.20000°W / -36.20000; -72.20000
TypeNormal
Areas affectedChillán, Chile
Max. intensityMMI X (Extreme)
Casualties~28,000 deaths
40,000 injuries

The 1939 Chillán earthquake occurred in south-central Chile on 24 January with a surface-wave magnitude of 8.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). With a death toll of around 28,000, compared to the 2,231–6,000 (official estimates vary greatly) of the Great Chilean earthquake of 1960, it is the single deadliest earthquake in Chile.