A moderately strong earthquake struck the northwestern Chinese region of Qinghai on Jan. 8, as rescue workers continued their search for survivors from a deadly quake that hit neighboring Tibet just a day earlier.
The latest quake, which registered a magnitude of 5.5, occurred at 3:44 p.m. local time, with a depth of 14 kilometers (8.7 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) put it at a slightly stronger magnitude of 5.7 with a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
The epicenter of the Qinghai quake was located in Madoi county, near the source of the Yellow River, the second-longest river in China that provides water to millions. This epicenter was approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Madoi County’s seat, a town that is home to about 14,500 residents, predominantly Tibetans, situated at an average altitude of around 4,270 meters (14,009 feet) within a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius, according to the CENC.
Local authorities are currently assessing the impact of the earthquake to determine casualties and damage, according to state media, which tightly guarded information from the country. As of publication time, no casualties had been reported.
Li, a resident of Ningxia, the capital of Qinghai region and over 300 miles away from Madoi county, told The Epoch Times he felt no tremors and did not receive any alerts from local authorities on his phone.
Li, who asked not to be named, expressed concern about the region’s recent seismic instability but remained optimistic, saying that he hoped the sparsely populated Madoi county would not experience significant casualties.
The Qinghai quake followed a devastating 7.1-magnitude earthquake that woke up residents and toppled houses in Tibet just a day earlier. Tibet is located approximately 621 miles from the epicenter of the Qinghai quake.
At least 126 people were confirmed dead, and 188 others were injured after the powerful quake in Tibet, local officials said at a press conference on Jan. 8. The number of dead and injured has remained unchanged since the last update on the previous night.
The quake occurred at around 9:05 a.m. local time on Jan. 7 in Dingri county, in the far-western region of Tibet. The CENC measured it at a magnitude of 6.8, while the USGS recorded it at 7.1.
Countries along the Himalayan border, including Nepal, Bhutan, and India, also felt the tremors. As of Jan. 8, no fatalities were reported in these regions.
Tibetans living in exile in India take part in a candlelight vigil to express solidarity for the victims and survivors of the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in southwestern China's Tibet region, at Majnu ka Tila in New Delhi on Jan. 8, 2025. Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images
At a press conference on Jan. 8, Chinese officials said 646 aftershocks had been detected since the initial quake, the largest measuring 4.4 magnitude.
Hong Li, director of the emergency management department in Tibet, described the quake as the most significant in the region in five years. He told reporters at the Jan. 8 briefing that 646 aftershocks had been detected since the initial quake, the largest measuring 4.4 magnitude. More than 3,600 houses had collapsed as a result of the earthquake, he said.
While rescue efforts continued on Jan. 8, temperatures in the high-altitude region dropped as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight. People trapped or those without shelter are at risk of rapid hypothermia and may only be able to live for five to 10 hours even if uninjured, experts say.
Luo Ya and Reuters contributed to this report.
