| 1894 Shōnai earthquake | |
| Pre-1900: | yes |
| Local-Date: | [1] |
| Magnitude: | 7.0 ML |
| Location: | [2] |
| Casualties: | 726 (Death toll)[3] |
| Native Name: | 庄内地震 |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
The 1894 Shōnai earthquake ([4]) is an earthquake occurred on October 22, 1894 at Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. It was caused by the movement of the Shonai Plain Eastern Margin Fault Zone (庄内平野東縁断層帯).[5]
According to the official confirmed report, 14,118 houses and buildings were damaged and 2,148 were burned.[6] There were 726 fatalities and 8,403 injuries in the damaged area. A large-scale fire broke out in Sakata, and around the Shonai plain area, many instances of cracked earth, sinking ground, sand boils, and fountains were observed.