Open Earth
6.3
EarthquakeMajor

M6.3 earthquake near Rumphi, Northern Region

31348 d ago · 18 Dec 1940, 03:39 UTC 30 km WNW of Chama, Zambia

What happened

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 30 km WNW of Chama, Zambia on 18 Dec 1940, 03:39 UTC at a depth of 15 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Rumphi, about 108 km away in Northern Region, Malawi.

Timeline

  1. First reported by USGS

    16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC

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