It took place at 11:03 AM (UTC-3) on 5 August 2006, and had a magnitude of 5.6 in the Richter scale.

Its hypocenter was centered 23 km west southwest of San Martin, exactly at the town of Ugarteche, Luján de Cuyo, and at a depth of 25 km.

It damaged about 600 buildings in the Greater Mendoza metropolitan area (mostly either precarious or old), as well as causing brief interruptions in the supply of electric power and mobile phone communications.

It was felt as grade II–III in the Mercalli scale in the city of Mendoza.

This seismic event was the largest in 20 years; the 1985 Mendoza earthquake (magnitude 6.0) caused 6 casualties and damaged thousands of houses and was centered at Godoy Cruz, just 4 km south of Mendoza.