1935 Quetta earthquake
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| Date | 31 May 1935 |
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| Origin time | Between 2:33 and 3:40 (PKT) |
| Magnitude | 7.7 Mw |
| Depth | 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) |
| Epicenter | 29°30′N 66°48′E / 29.5°N 66.8°ECoordinates: 29°30′N 66°48′E / 29.5°N 66.8°E |
| Areas affected | Balochistan, British Raj |
| Max. intensity | X (Extreme) |
| Casualties | 30,000–60,000 |
The 1935 Quetta earthquake (Urdu: بلوچستان زلزلہ) occurred on 31 May between 2:33 am and 3:40 am at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj (now part of Pakistan). The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 Mw and anywhere between 30,000 and 60,000 people died from the impact. This ranked as the deadliest earthquake that hit South Asia until the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. The quake was centred 4.0 kilometres south-west of Ali Jaan, Balochistan, British India.
Quetta and its neighbouring towns lie in the most active seismic region of Pakistan atop the Chaman and Chiltan faults. Movement on the Chaman Fault resulted in an earthquake early in the morning on 31 May 1935 estimated anywhere between the hours of 2:33 am and 3:40 am which lasted for three minutes with continuous aftershocks. Although there were no instruments good enough to precisely measure the magnitude of the earthquake, modern estimates cite the magnitude as being a minimum of 7.7 MW and previous estimates of 8.1 MW are now regarded as an overestimate. The epicentre of the quake was established to be 4-kilometres south-west of the town of Ali Jaan in Balochistan, some 153-kilometres away from Quetta in British India. The earthquake caused destruction in almost all the towns close to Quetta, including the city itself, and tremors were felt as far as Agra, now in India. The largest aftershock was later measured at 5.8 MW occurring on 2 June 1935. The aftershock, however, did not cause any damage in Quetta, but the towns of Mastung, Maguchar and Kalat were seriously affected.
Most of the reported casualties occurred in the city of Quetta. Initial communiqué drafts issued by the Government estimated a total of 20,000 people buried under the rubble, 10,000 survivors and 4,000 injured. The city was badly damaged and was immediately prepared to be sealed under the military guard with medical advice. All the villages between Quetta and Kalat were destroyed and the British feared casualties to be of higher numbers in surrounding towns; it was later estimated to be nowhere close to the damage caused in Quetta.
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