A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck eastern Bhutan in 2009, killing at least eleven people and damaging over 5,000 homes across Bhutan and India.
Key Facts
- Moment Magnitude
- 6.1
- Deaths
- At least 11 (7 in Bhutan, 4 in India)
- Injured
- At least 15
- Homes/buildings damaged
- At least 5,167
- Distance from Thimphu
- 180 km east
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Seismic activity in the geologically active eastern Himalayan region produced a moment magnitude 6.1 earthquake beneath Monggar District, approximately 180 kilometres east of the Bhutanese capital Thimphu, on 21 September 2009 at 14:53 local time.
The earthquake's strong tremors caused houses to collapse on their occupants in Bhutan and killed four Indian road-construction workers when a road gave way. Shaking was felt across Bangladesh, northern India as far as Guwahati, and into Tibet, with cracked buildings reported and roads blocked by boulders and mud.
At least eleven people died and fifteen were wounded, while more than 5,167 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed. Thousands were displaced and forced to live outdoors. Monasteries were damaged, roads were temporarily blocked, and the disaster struck during preparations for the Buddhist Blessed Rainy Day ceremony.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 11 (earthquake)