A magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Iran's Zagros Mountains killed at least 1,130 people and left an estimated 15,000 homeless in December 1957.
Key Facts
- Magnitude
- 6.5 (moment magnitude)
- Depth
- 15 km
- Deaths
- At least 1,130 people
- Deaths in Farsinaj village
- Over 700 people
- Homeless
- Estimated 15,000 people
- Aftershock deaths
- 38 total people
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The earthquake occurred along the seismically active Zagros Mountains near two segments of the active strike-slip Main Recent Fault, a zone with a long history of significant seismic events. Tectonic stress along this fault system produced the rupture on 13 December 1957.
At 05:15 on 13 December 1957, a moment magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Hamadan province, Iran, at a depth of 15 km. The epicenter lay in the Zagros Mountains. At least 1,130 people were killed, with more than 700 deaths concentrated in the village of Farsinaj, and additional casualties in Dehasiyab, Sarab, and surrounding villages.
The disaster left an estimated 15,000 people homeless in winter conditions. A subsequent storm on 21 December killed 20 more people, and deadly aftershocks throughout the month added 38 further deaths. The event highlighted the severe vulnerability of rural settlements in the Zagros region to seismic hazards.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 1,130 (earthquake)