One of the largest recorded earthquakes in South Asia, it reshaped the Brahmaputra River's course and triggered a Bay of Bengal tsunami.
Key Facts
- Estimated Magnitude
- 8.5–8.8 moment magnitude
- Maximum Intensity
- XI (Extreme) on Modified Mercalli scale
- Minimum Death Toll
- 200 deaths
- Date and Time
- 2 April 1762, ~17:00 local time
- River Course Shift
- Brahmaputra shifted ~150 km west via Jamuna River
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Seismic activity along the coastal fault zone stretching from Chittagong in modern Bangladesh to Arakan in modern Myanmar produced a massive rupture on 2 April 1762. The region lies on a tectonically active margin where the Indian Plate interacts with the Burma Plate, making it prone to large subduction-related earthquakes.
At approximately 17:00 local time, an earthquake estimated at magnitude 8.5–8.8 struck with an epicentre along the Chittagong–Arakan coast. It reached a maximum intensity of XI (Extreme), generating major zones of both land uplift and subsidence across the affected region and triggering a local tsunami in the Bay of Bengal.
The disaster killed at least 200 people and generated a destructive tsunami along the Bay of Bengal coastline. The seismic disturbance caused lasting geomorphological change, most notably diverting the Brahmaputra River approximately 150 kilometres westward from its former channel east of Dhaka to its present course via the Jamuna River.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 200 (earthquake)