Vrancea earthquake damages Moldavia and Wallachia (1838)

On 23 January 1838, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the western part of Vrancea County. The seismic event caused extensive damage in Moldavia and Wallachia, resulting in 73 deaths and 14 injuries according to a police report. Contemporary accounts noted the shaking lasted 35 seconds in Iași.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Vrancea County is the most seismically active zone in Romania, with focal depths between 80 and 160 km affecting wide regions. At the time, Wallachia and Moldavia were principalities under Russian military rule, having gained common institutions following the 1829 Treaty of Adrianople.

Impact. The earthquake caused extensive damage in Moldavia and Wallachia. In Iași, the shaking was felt on 11 January 1838 at 8:25 p.m. and lasted 35 seconds. A report submitted by Bucharest Police Chief Manolache Florescu on 13 January 1838 stated that 73 people lost their lives and 14 were injured.

Terminology. The term 'Romania' is anachronistic for 1838, as the modern state formed later. Wallachia was an exonym for 'Țara Românească'. Vrancea County is mostly in historical Moldavia, but its southern part below the Milcov River is in Muntenia, a section of Wallachia.

People involved

Sources

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