The earthquake caused fatalities and severe damage to buildings throughout the province, especially in the city of Caucete, where at least 65 people died.

People left their houses at dawn in panic at the Argentinian capital, located at 1,000 km (620 mi) to the east southeast.

The increased coupling leads to shortening of the crust of the South American plate, causing active thrust tectonics and rapid uplift, forming the Sierras Pampeanas.

Analysis of the aftershock sequence suggests that two separate faults moved during the earthquake, the earlier event on a segment to the north and the later one to the south.

Many houses constructed of adobe or unreinforced masonry were either badly damaged or destroyed and very large areas were affected by liquefaction.