Earthquake on Luzon Island in the Philippines that occurred on July 16, 1990
One of the deadliest Philippine earthquakes of the 20th century, killing over 1,600 people across Central Luzon and the Cordillera region.
Key Facts
- Magnitude
- 7.8 (surface-wave magnitude)
- Death toll
- Approximately 1,621 killed
- Ground rupture length
- 125 km (Dingalan to Kayapa) km
- Date and time
- July 16, 1990, 3:26 p.m. PST
- Primary faults involved
- Philippine Fault and Digdig Fault
- Epicenter
- Near Rizal, Nueva Ecija, northeast of Cabanatuan
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The earthquake resulted from strike-slip movements along the Philippine Fault and the Digdig Fault, both part of the Philippine fault system. These faults run through the densely populated island of Luzon, placing large numbers of people at risk from seismic activity along this tectonically active zone.
On July 16, 1990, at 3:26 p.m. Philippine Standard Time, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Luzon. Its epicenter was near Rizal, Nueva Ecija, and the event produced a 125-kilometer-long ground rupture stretching from Dingalan to Kayapa, causing widespread destruction across Central Luzon and the Cordillera region.
An estimated 1,621 people were killed, with the majority of fatalities concentrated in Central Luzon and the Cordillera region. The disaster caused extensive damage to infrastructure and communities on the island and highlighted the vulnerability of densely populated areas to major seismic events along the Philippine fault system.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 1,621 (earthquake)