The October 12, 1992, Dahshur, Egypt, Earthquake

Cairo and northeastern Egypt experienced a rare, damaging earthquake on October 12, 1992. The earthquake, which measured 5.9 on the Richter magnitude scale, was centered near the village of Dahshur, about 18 km south of Cairo. The computed hypocentral depth of the earthquake, about 25 km, is consistent with the fact that fault rupture associated with the earthquake did not reach the surface. 

Despite its relatively moderate size, the earthquake caused many casualties and heavy damage. These losses included more than 500 fatalities, more than 6,500 injuries, and about 8,300 damaged or destroyed buildings. The Foreign Broadcast Service estimated monetary losses directly attributable to the earthquake at $300 million.

We were part of an international reconnaissance team that investigated the Dahsur earthquake. This article summarizes our findings and points out how even a relatively moderate sized earthquake can cause widespread damage and a large number of casualities.