The Hindu Kush Earthquake of the 14th November 1937

A.L. Coulson (1938) Records of the Geological Survey of India, Vol.73 Part 1, Page 135-
144.

[Edited Transcription]

At about 16.30 hours IST on Sunday the 14th November 1937 an unusually severe
earthquake occurred in the Hindu Kush, which was felt throughout the NW frontier
Province and Kashmir and over parts of the Punjab and also in the United Provinces,
northern Sind and Baluchistan.

The Bombay Meteorologist [Dr K.R. Ramanathan] stated that the time of origin deduced
from the data of Agra, Bombay and Calcutta is 16h28m10s and the position of the
epicenter is 36.5°N, 72.5°E. He added that the Bombay seismograms show evidence that
the earthquake was a deep focus one with a depth of focus of about 200km (sP-P being
1m 0s). If this depth of focus be assumed, the position of the epicenter will be shifted
towards north by about a degree. Dr S.K. Pramanik, Meteorologist Calcutta from the
study of seismogram (E-W component of the Omori-Ewing seismograph) noted that the
intensity was great with maximum movement ‘in secondary’. The shock was of deep
focus and the focal depth according to the Brunner chart was 240 km. The epicentral
region was possibly at about 37.5°N, 71.5°E.

The following note was published under the heading “Kashmir Earthquake of November
14” in the issue of Nature, dated the 20th November 1937.

An earthquake of some strength occurred on the afternoon of November 14 in NW India,

especially in the province of Kashmir. That it attained semi-destructive intensity (degree I
of the Milne scale) is clear from the slight damage that occurred at Srinagar,
Abbottabad, and other places. The earthquake is of interest chiefly from its association
with more violent shocks in the same province. Within little more than a century two
earthquakes of Milne’s highest order of intensity (III) visited Kashmir, one in 1828, the
other in 1885. Another, of intensity II, occurred on December 4, 1865, in the district
around Chamba (about 150 miles southeast of Srinagar), and two others, of about the
same intensity as the recent shock, in that near Srinagar on August 28, 1916, and
January 20, 1931…..

Calcutta Edition of the Statesman of 15th November reported:

Lahore experienced an earthquake shock of more than moderate intensity at 4.30 PM, the
shock lasting for over a minute. Cracks were noticed on the walls of some dilapidated
structures, but no serious loss was reported. A few bricks were dislodged from the
balcony of the General Post Office, and the tops of several high buildings were seen to
rock while the shock lasted. Four earthquake shocks were felt in Lahore last month, but
today’s was more severe than any since those of 1905.

1
Calcutta Edition of the Statesman of 16th November reported:

The earthquake which occurred at Lahore at about 4.30 PM on Sunday was felt at many
centers in the Punjab, according to the Associated Press. Reports show that tremors of
varying severity were felt at almost all stations in a circle formed by Peshawar in the
north, Bahawalpur in the west, Kangra in the east and Delhi in the south. At Kangra
another shock occurred at 1AM.
The tremors were most severe in the north of the Province where considerable damage to
property occurred. Hundreds of houses were damaged in Rawalpindi city, while a number
collapsed in the suburban town. A young Sikh girl, who was buried under the wreckage
of a house in Rawalpindi, but was later extricated, is lying in a precarious condition in
hospital, while a woman has lost an arm. Several buildings were damaged in Peshawar,
where a number of people were injuredby falling bricks. No loss of life however is
reported. According to Quetta correspondent of the Statesman, earthquake tremors were
felt at Quetta on Sunday afternoon.

Calcutta Edition of the Statesman of 18th November reported:

News has been received [Peshawar Associated Press] of a violent earthquake which
occurred at 4.30 PM on Sunday last at Chitral and Drosh, resulting in considerable loss of
property and serious damage to fort. This has necessitated the troops being placed under
canvas. No casualties are reported.

Analysis of Observers’ Reports

In addition to the meteorological observers’ reports and newspaper reports the Director
Geological Survey of India received from the Deputy Commissioner, Rawalpindi a
valuable tabular statement embodying the reports of 53 observers in different tahsils of
the Rawalpindi district. The isoseismal lines given in the sketch map have been drawn
from the details given in the various reports. The intensity of the shock is according to the
modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

The epicentral region of the shock is in the Hindu Kush Mountains near Drosh and
Chitral. In the absence of reports from this region, one cannot state whether or not the
shock attained a greater intensity than VIII in the regions NW of Drosh. The shape of the
isoseismal lines, however, would seem to indicate that the epicentral region was not very
large and that it is possible that the maximum intensity of the shock above the focus did
not exceed intensity X. Two reports were actually received from Drosh. One merely
stated that the walls of the Telegraph building were cracked and that no details were to
hand from outside. The other stated that buildings fell down and that a ground fissure
occurred. The news paper reports indicate considerable loss of property there. A rumbling
noise was heard during the shock by one observer.

It is not possible to separate intensities VII and VI. In this region the earthquake was
accompanied at Gilgit by an aeroplane sound. The river bank slipped at several places

2
and rocks fell from the mountain-side in two localities. It looked like a dust storm all
along the river and mountain where slipping occurred. A ‘wisking’ sound was heard at
Gurais and the walls of the fort cracked and all chimney-tops were dismantled. At
Peshawar, the verandah on the third floor of a new building in the Cantonment collapsed.
A few buildings were cracked and big stones fell down from the hills near the hill station
of Cherat and blocked the roads. There was considerable damage to the tops of big
buildings at Rawalpindi. The report from Sonamarg (Intensity V) stated that noise before
and after the shocks resembled that made by the start and closing down of rice mills. Two
boys fell down from windows at Srinagar and received injuries. It would seem that the
intensity of shock at Lahore was just between V and IV.

There were several shocks felt in the higher intensities areas prior to the main shock of
the 14th November 1937. Thus shocks were felt at Drosh on 9th September (also felt at
Gulmarg), 29th October (also felt at Cherat, Kabul, Lahore, Peshawar and Srinagar), and
in the very early hours of 8th November (also felt at Gilgit, Gurais, Peshawar, Rawalpindi
and Srinagar). It is interesting to note that shocks felt in Ambala, Dehradun, Lahore, New
Delhi, Roorkee, Simla and Srinagar at about 6.55 IST on the 20th October 1937 seem to
have had their epicenter in the NW Punjab and cannot therefore be considered as
foreshocks of the Hindu Kush earthquake of 14 November 1937. Up to 17 December
1937, records have been received from Drosh of aftershocks which were felt there on 16,
19, and 21st November 1937.

3
4