On December 22, 1983, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck northern Guinea, killing around 300 people, and injuring 1,500.

An earthquake of this magnitude was unusual for this region of West Africa, which was previously believed by most seismologists to be aseismic.

[1] The earthquake occurred on the edge of the Paleozoic Bové Basin, near the western margin of the Precambrian West African Craton and close to the southern end of the late Proterozoic to Hercynian Mauritanide Belt.

[3] The New York Times, citing the national radio, reported that at least 16 settlements were razed.

Several towns including Labe, Gaoual, Mamou and Kindia suffered heavy damage.