2011 Sikkim earthquake

6.9 Mw earthquake near the India-Nepal border

2011 Sikkim earthquake

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UTC time| 2011-09-18 12:40:51
ISC event| 17238846
USGS-ANSS| ComCat
Local date| 18 September 2011
Local time| 18:10 IST
18:25 NPT
18:40 BTT
20:40 CST
Duration| 30–40 seconds
Magnitude| 6.9 Mw
Depth| 19.7 km (12.1 mi)
Epicenter| Taplejung, Nepal
27°43′23″N 88°03′50″E﻿ / ﻿27.723°N 88.064°E﻿ / 27.723; 88.064
Type| Intraplate[1]
Areas affected| India
Bangladesh
Nepal
Bhutan
China
Total damage| $22.3 billion USD[2]
Max. intensity| MMI VII (Very strong)[3]
Landslides| Yes
Aftershocks| Yes
Casualties| At least 111 killed

The 2011 Sikkim earthquake (also known as the 2011 Himalayan earthquake) occurred with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and was centered within the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, near the border of Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim, at 18:10 IST on Sunday, 18 September.[4] The earthquake was felt across northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and southern Tibet.

At least 111 people were killed in the earthquake.[5] Most of the deaths occurred in Sikkim, with reports of fatalities in and near Singtam in the East Sikkim district.[6] Several buildings collapsed in Gangtok.[7] Eleven are reported dead in Nepal, including three killed when a wall collapsed in the British Embassy in Kathmandu.[8] Elsewhere, structural damage occurred in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and across Tibet; another seven fatalities were confirmed in the latter region.

The quake came just a few days after an earthquake of 4.2 magnitude hit Haryana's Sonipat district, sending tremors in New Delhi.[9] The earthquake was the fourth significant earthquake in India of September 2011.[10]

Exactly a year after the original earthquake at 5:55 pm on 18 September 2012, another earthquake of magnitude 4.1 struck Sikkim, sparking panic among the people observing the anniversary of the original quake.[1][11][12][13]

## Earthquake

[edit]

The magnitude 6.9 (Mw) earthquake occurred inland at 18:10 IST on 18 September 2011, about 68 km (42 mi) northwest of Gangtok, Sikkim at a shallow depth of 19.7 km (12.2 mi).[4] At this location, the continental Indian and Eurasian plates converge with one another along a tectonic boundary beneath the mountainous region of northeast India near the Nepalese border. Although earthquakes in this region are usually interplate in nature, preliminary data suggests the Sikkim earthquake was triggered by shallow strike-slip faulting from an intraplate source within the over-riding Eurasian plate. Initial analyses also indicate a complex origin, with the perceived tremor likely being a result of two separate events occurring close together in time at similar focal depths.

### Intensity

[edit]

USGS ShakeMap for the event

Located at a shallow depth beneath the surface, the earthquake caused strong shaking in many areas adjacent to its epicenter reportedly lasting 30–40 seconds.[14][better source needed] The strongest shaking occurred to the west in Gangtok and further south in Siliguri, although similar ground motions registering at VI (Strong) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale were recorded in many smaller towns such as Mangan across elevated regions. Lighter tremors (IV–III) spread southward through populous regions, with these motions reported in the Patna capital of Bihar and as far southwest as Bihar Sharif.[3] Tremors were felt in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Delhi states of India.[15] In Tibet, the earthquake was felt in Shigatse and Lhasa.[16] In all, the earthquake was felt in Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and China.

### Aftershocks

[edit]

Sikkim experienced three aftershocks within a span of 30 minutes after the mainshock occurring with magnitudes (Mw ) of 5.7, 5.1, and 4.6.[17] Kathmandu experienced two aftershocks that both had a magnitude of 4.8 Mw . The aftershocks had no serious impact in the region. At least 20 aftershocks back-to-back throughout the night caused panic in the Gangtok.[18]

## Impact

[edit]

Casualties by country  Country | Deaths

|

India | 97
China | 7
Nepal | 6
Bhutan | 1
Bangladesh | 0
Total | 111
Demolished Building in Gangtok, Sikkim

The earthquake struck near a mountainous, albeit very populous region near the Sikkim–Nepal border; most of the structures were highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking.[3] Upon impact, tens of thousands of residents evacuated their homes, and many areas suffered from communication and power outages. The strong shaking caused significant building collapse and mudslides;[14] at least 111 people were confirmed killed and hundreds sustained injuries by the effects of the earthquake. As the earthquake occurred during the monsoon season, heavy rain and landslides made rescue work increasingly difficult.[19]

### India

[edit]

Northern India suffered the worst from the earthquake, with at least 75 people killed.[18] Sixty people were reportedly killed in Sikkim alone.[20] At least seven people died in Bihar while six deaths have been reported in West Bengal.[21] Power supply was disrupted in areas near Sikkim, including Kalimpong of Darjeeling district, and adjoining Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts; the outages were in part blamed on an affected electric substation in Siliguri.[22] Water supply was interrupted in Sikkim. National Highway 31, the major highway linking Sikkim to the rest of India, was damaged.[19] Ten of the dead were workers at a hydroelectric project on the Teesta River.[23]

In India, the total property damage is estimated to be around $22.3 billion USD, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in Indian history.[2][24]

#### Sikkim

[edit]

Sikkim earthquake aerial survey by Indian Air Force helicopter

Two buildings of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police in the Pegong areas of North Sikkim collapsed.[25] In Gangtok, many government offices and hospitals were left unusable.[26] The heavy shaking destroyed the villages of Lingzya, Sakyong, Pentong, Bay and Tholong.[27]

### Nepal

[edit]

In the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu, damage from the earthquake was comparatively limited. Three people were killed when a wall at the British Embassy collapsed, and many others suffered injuries. The shaking effects were more severe in eastern Nepal, closer to the epicenter. There, hundreds of homes sustained significant damage, and due to saturated soil from preceding heavy rains widespread mudslides impacted the region.[28] Sunsari experienced power and telephone communication outages. Two people were killed in the eastern city of Dharan.[29] Overall, in Nepal 6 people died due to the earthquake.

### Bangladesh

[edit]

The earthquake was felt most strongly in northern Bangladesh. The quake was also felt in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Mymensingh, Barisal, Faridpur, Jessore, Khulna, Pabna, Bogra, Comilla, Noakhali, Chittagong and as far as Cox's Bazar.[30] Panicked people rushed out of their homes and offices,[30][31] but the only damage seems to be tilted and cracked buildings;[32] no casualties were reported.[31] Cell phone lines were also down for a few minutes during the quake.[31]

### China

[edit]

In Tibet, building collapse was reported in Yadong,[33] Dinggyê and Gamba.[16] At least seven people were reported dead in Yadong.[34] Telephone service was interrupted in the seat of Yadong County.[35] At least 70% of buildings in Yadong were deemed unstable.[36]

### Bhutan

[edit]

There were no reports of casualties in Bhutan, although cracks in walls and ceilings of houses were reported in Wangthangkha village, Lango and in the town area of Paro. There were also reports of a landslide right after crossing the Isuna Bridge from Paro towards Thimphu, and falling boulders after crossing Chundzom Bridge. Citizens were asked to avoid traveling on the Paro-Thimphu highway. Telecommunications networks were disrupted, with cellular networks unavailable after the quake.[37]

Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigmi Thinley updated in his status[38] as "Phone lines remains clogged reflecting our caring and close knit society. No damage reported from East Bhutan. Four road blocks caused by falling debris are reported on the Chukha–Phuntsholing road. Two homes in Haa report damage with three to four people having suffered minor injury. Thimphu Dzong has sustained some cracks in the Utse and one of the four corner towers. Occupants have been moved out to safer parts. Please remain calm and alert."

## Rescue operations and compensation

[edit]

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|

Army's rescue operations in earthquake affected area of Sikkim Army personnel distributing relief material to the people in earthquake affected area of Sikkim

### India

[edit]

Early rescue operations included four teams of National Disaster Response Force been rushed to Sikkim and five more teams were being sent from Kolkata.[17] However, South and West Sikkim remained inaccessible delaying rescue operations owing to landslides caused by rainfall. A group of 14 tourists were rescued by the army from north Sikkim. The army had deployed 72 columns including infantry troops, combat engineers, four Dhruv and five Cheetah helicopters. Rain and landslides had hampered the rescue efforts of workers searching for survivors.[18][39] Three-hundred people, mostly labourers, were given shelter in Chungthang Gurdwara. Food was prepared in gurdwara langar with more than 600 hot meals at all meal times.[40]

Indian former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, on 19 September, announced ₹200,000 (US$2,300) as ex-gratia to a family member of those killed in the earthquake and ₹100,000 (US$1,200) for seriously injured. ₹50,000 (US$580) for those grievously injured and ₹25,000 (US$290) for those with minor injuries was announced by Sikkim former chief minister Pawan Chamling.[18] Rescue and relief operations resumed in Sikkim since early in the morning on Tuesday with the weather showing signs of improvement. Road opening parties succeeded in restoring communication along NH31A and work was continuing to repair the North Sikkim Highway to Mangan and Chungthang. Fifteen helicopters were pressed into service to evacuate casualties and deploy rescue and relief columns in the affected areas of north and west Sikkim.

Lt Gen Bikram Singh, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, also visited the earthquake-affected areas and met his senior staff officers to discuss the progress of Operation Trishakti Madad, the massive operation launched by the Army's 33 Corps to provide relief to those affected by Sunday's earthquake.

According to the Army, nearly 2,000 civilians are being provided shelter at eight Army relief camps at Gangtok, Chungthang, Pegong and Darjeeling. There are 400 others who have sought shelter at relief camps set up by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Several children from these camps even returned home on Tuesday and attended school

On Monday, when weather improved, Special Forces personnel slithered from helicopters into affected villages. Medical camps were set up and arrangements were made for casualty evacuation

21 engineering columns of the Army succeeded in restoring partial road connectivity to parts of north Sikkim on Tuesday. Telecommunications and power lines, that snapped due to the earthquake, were also restored.

In spite off all efforts, the highway to Gangtok remained badly affected due to landslides.

### China

[edit]

The People's Armed Police Border Defense Corps [zh] Yadong Battalion and Yadong Border Checkpoint deployed 90 personnel, 11 vehicles and 30 tents to assist in disaster relief.[41]

## See also

[edit]

* List of earthquakes in 2011
* List of earthquakes in India
* List of earthquakes in Nepal

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Magnitude 6.9 – Sikkim, India: Tectonic Summary". United States Geological Survey. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
2. ^ a b Santanu Baruah; Sowrav Saikia; Saurabh Baruah; Pabon K. Bora; Ruben Tatevossian; J. R. Kayal (19 March 2014). "The September 2011 Sikkim Himalaya earthquake Mw 6.9: is it a plane of detachment earthquake?". Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk. 7: 248–263\. doi:10.1080/19475705.2014.895963. S2CID 128915677.
3. ^ a b c "Pager – M 6.9 – Sikkim, India". United States Geological Survey. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
4. ^ a b "Magnitude 6.9 – Sikkim, India". United States Geological Survey. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
5. ^ Himalayan quake toll climbs to 116, 40 stranded foreign tourists rescued Archived 26 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, DNA, 21 September 2011
6. ^ Earthquake claims two lives in Sikkim Archived 11 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, The Hindu, 18 September 2011
7. ^ Bhardwaj, Mayank (18 September 2011). "Magnitude 6.8 quake in India, several dead". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
8. ^ Earthquake kills 5 in Nepal Archived 5 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, DNA, 18 September 2011
9. ^ "Very strong earthquake in Sikkim, India". 18 September 2011. Earthquake-report.com. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
10. ^ "Sikkim quake is India's fourth this september". NDTV. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
11. ^ Press Trust of India (18 September 2012). "Moderate quake jolts Sikkim, no report of casualty, damage". business-standard.com.
12. ^ Abhinav Bhatt (18 September 2012). "Tremor felt in Sikkim, exactly a year after devastating quake". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
13. ^ "Geological Survey of India" (PDF). 18 September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
14. ^ a b "Eight killed, 100 injured as strong quake jolts Sikkim-Nepal border region". The Economic Times. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
15. ^ "Quake toll mounts to 6 as quake jolts east, north India". The Times of India. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
16. ^ a b "受印度地震影响西藏边境地区部分房屋倒塌 一人受伤". Ifeng.com. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012.
17. ^ a b "2 killed in Sikkim, buildings hit as quake jolts Northeast". DNA India. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
18. ^ a b c d "Sikkim earthquake toll rises to 50". The Times of India. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
19. ^ a b "Sikkim the morning after offers a grim picture". Ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
20. ^ "35 tourists airlifted, toll crosses 90". The Times of India. 21 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
21. ^ "Sikkim earthquake toll climbs to 66, rescue work hampered by landslides". The Times of India. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
22. ^ "Many injured in northbengal, power supply disrupted". NDTV. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 19 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
23. ^ 10 bodies recovered from Teesta project: ITBP Archived 6 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, News One / IANS, 19 September 2011
24. ^ "Nine villages still inaccessible, damage estimated at Rs 1 lakh crore". The Times of India. 21 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
25. ^ Sikkim quake: ITBP buildings collapse, Pegong area badly hit Archived 20 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, The Economic Times, 18 September 2011
26. ^ "Earthquake toll over 80; India 68; as rescue teams reach quake epicentre". Ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
27. ^ "The Times of India on Mobile". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
28. ^ Adhikari, Prakash (19 September 2011). "Quake hits vast Himalayan region killing 63". Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
29. ^ "Powerful quake rocks Nepal, at least five killed". 18 September 2011. Nepalmountainnews.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
30. ^ a b "6.8 tremor jolts Dhaka, Ctg, Sylhet". bdnews24.com. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
31. ^ a b c "Powerful quake jolts Bangladesh, sparks panic". The Times of India. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
32. ^ "Two Dhaka buildings damaged in quake". bdnews24.com. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
33. ^ "印度锡金邦地震造成西藏7人死亡 亚东县受灾严重". Ifeng.com. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012.
34. ^ "西藏亚东县7人因地震死亡 消防救援". People's Daily. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014.
35. ^ "印度锡金邦地震波及中国西藏边境地区". Xinhua News Agency. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
36. ^ "西藏遭印度锡金邦6.8级地震波及-亚东边防官兵全力抗震救灾" [Tibet affected by Sikkim 6.8 earthquake - Yadong border defense personnel deployed to assist with disaster relief]. Ministry of Public Security. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
37. ^ Powerful tremor rock western Bhutan, Kuensel online, 19 September 2011[dead link]
38. ^ "Aanmelden". Retrieved 22 September 2011 - via Facebook.
39. ^ "Sikkim earthquake: Landslides hamper rescue efforts, toll 40". The Times of India. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
40. ^ "Live Feed". resqcodelivefeed.tumblr.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
41. ^ "西藏遭印度锡金邦6.8级地震波及-亚东边防官兵全力抗震救灾" [Tibet affected by Sikkim 6.8 earthquake - Yadong border defense personnel deployed to assist with disaster relief]. Ministry of Public Security. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Rediff.com: 40 killed in Sikkim quake; relief ops hit by landslides (slideshow)
* The Mw 6.9 Sikkim-Nepal Border Earthquake of September 18, 2011 – Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
* The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.
* ReliefWeb's main page for this event.

* v
* t
* e

* Disasters in India in 2011

* January 14  Sabarimala stampede
* April 19  Tawang Mi-17 crash
* July 10  Fatehpur derailment
* September 18  Sikkim earthquake
* December 9  AMRI hospital fire
* December  Bengal hooch tragedy
* Winter  North Indian Cold Wave

* v
* t
* e

← Earthquakes in 2011 →

January|

* Tirúa, Chile (7.1, Jan 2)
* Balochistan, Pakistan (7.2, Jan 19)

February|

* Christchurch, New Zealand (6.3, Feb 22)†

March|

* Sendai, Japan (7.2, Mar 9)
* Yunnan, China (5.4, Mar 10)
* Tōhoku, Japan (Great East Japan) (9.1, Mar 11)†‡
* Sakae, Japan (6.7, Mar 11)
* Nagano, Japan (6.7, Mar 12)
* Shizuoka, Japan (6.0, Mar 15)
* Shan State, Myanmar (6.8, Mar 24)†

April|

* Miyagi, Japan (7.1, Apr 7)
* Fukushima, Japan (6.6, Apr 11)

May|

* Guerrero, Mexico (5.7, May 5)
* Lorca, Spain (5.1, May 11)
* Simav, Turkey (5.8, May 19)

June|

* Christchurch, New Zealand (6.3, June 13)

July|

* Fergana Valley (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) (6.2, July 19)

August|

* Trinidad, Colorado (5.3, Aug 22)
* Mineral, Virginia (5.8, Aug 23)

September|

* Aceh Singkil, Indonesia (6.7, Sep 6)
* Sikkim, India (6.8, Sep 18)†

October|

* Van, Turkey (7.2, Oct 23)†

November|

* Prague, Oklahoma (5.7, Nov 6)
* Van, Turkey (5.6, Nov 10)†

December|

* Guerrero, Mexico (6.5, Dec 10)

† indicates earthquake resulting in at least 30 deaths
‡ indicates the deadliest earthquake of the year

* v
* t
* e

Earthquakes in Nepal

* 1505 Lo Mustang
* 1833 Bihar–Nepal
* 1934 Nepal–India
* 1980 Nepal
* 1988 Nepal
* 2011 Sikkim
* April 2015
* aftershocks
* May 2015
* 2016 Imphal
* 2016 Kani
* November 2022
* November 2023
* 2025 Tibet

Category

* v
* t
* e

Earthquakes in India

Historical|

* 1505 Lo Mustang
* 1555 Kashmir
* 1803 Garhwal
* 1819 Rann of Kutch
* 1833 Kathmandu–Bihar
* 1869 Cachar
* 1881 Nicobar Islands
* 1885 Kashmir
* 1897 Assam

20th century|

* 1905 Kangra
* 1930 Dhubri
* 1934 Nepal–India
* 1935 Quetta
* 1941 Andaman Islands
* 1947 Assam
* 1950 Assam–Tibet
* 1956 Anjar
* 1967 Koynanagar
* 1975 Kinnaur
* 1980 Pithoragarh
* 1984 Cachar
* 1988 Myanmar–India
* 1988 Nepal
* 1991 Uttarkashi
* 1993 Latur
* 1997 Jabalpur
* 1997 Chittagong
* 1999 Chamoli

21st century|

* 2001 Gujarat
* 2004 Indian Ocean
* 2005 Kashmir
* 2009 Andaman Islands
* 2011 Sikkim
* April 2015 Nepal
* May 2015 Nepal
* October 2015 Hindu Kush
* 2016 Imphal
* 2016 Kani
* 2016 Chauk
* 2017 Tripura
* 2021 Assam
* 2022 Nepal
* 2023 Badakhshan
* 2023 Nepal
* 2025 Tibet

Related topics|

* Earthquake zones of India
* Geology of the Himalayas

* v
* t
* e

Himalayan earthquakes

Notable Himalayan quakes|

* 1505 Lo Mustang
* 1555 Kashmir
* 1714 Bhutan
* 1803 Garhwal
* 1833 Kathmandu–Bihar
* 1885 Kashmir
* 1897 Assam
* 1905 Kangra
* 1934 Bihar
* 1947 Assam
* 1950 Assam–Tibet
* 1980 Nepal
* 1988 Myanmar-India
* 1988 Nepal
* 1991 Uttarkashi
* 1999 Chamoli
* 2005 Kashmir
* 2008 Damxung
* 2009 Bhutan
* 2011 Sikkim
* April 2015 Nepal
* May 2015 Nepal
* 2021 Assam
* 2023 Nepal
* 2025 Tibet

Plate tectonics|

* Geology of the Himalayas
* Indian plate
* Eurasian plate
* Oldham Fault
* Main Frontal Thrust
* Main Himalayan Thrust
* Main Central Thrust
* South Tibetan Detachment
* North Himalayan Normal Fault

*[Max.]: Maximum
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template