In the night of Wednesday January 7th, 2026, a shallow and significant M5.2 earthquake hit under land 274 kilometer from Kashgar in China. Other countries near the epicenter include Tajikistan and Pakistan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 274 kilometer (170 mi) south-southwest of Kashgar in Xinjiang. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 7, 2026 01:17 (Urumqi Time) - Jan 6, 2026 19:17 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 274 km SSW of Kashgar, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 37°15'8"N 74°36'49"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 136 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.049 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
3 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: China , Tajikistan and Pakistan .
Located 196 kilometer (122 mi) west-southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Huoshilafu (Xinjiang, China) is the nearest significant population center.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 196 km (122 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Huoshilafu Xinjiang, China. |
| 214 km (133 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kaqun Xinjiang, China. |
| 243 km (151 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Qarek Xinjiang, China. |
| 253 km (157 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Wudalike Xinjiang, China. |
| 256 km (159 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Zepu Xinjiang, China. |
| 261 km (162 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Tuomuwusitang Xinjiang, China. |
| 264 km (164 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Gulebage Xinjiang, China. |
| 265 km (165 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Shache Xinjiang, China. |
| 266 km (165 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Yishikuli Xinjiang, China. |
| 267 km (166 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Mixia Xinjiang, China. |
| 268 km (167 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Arele Xinjiang, China. |
| 270 km (168 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Paikeqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 272 km (169 mi) W from epicenter |
Khorugh Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Ishqoshim Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Tage'erqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 274 km (170 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kashgar Xinjiang, China. |
| 279 km (173 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kuoshi'airike Xinjiang, China. |
| 279 km (173 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Yigai'erqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 285 km (177 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Baishikante Xinjiang, China. |
| 287 km (178 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Awati Xinjiang, China. |
| 290 km (180 mi) SW from epicenter |
Thal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Alamaiti Xinjiang, China. |
| 291 km (181 mi) NE from epicenter |
Elixku Xinjiang, China. |
| 291 km (181 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Bage'awati Xinjiang, China. |
| 295 km (183 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Azhatebage Xinjiang, China. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 17th, 2025, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 170 km (105 mi) further west-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on February 23rd, 2023.
In total, 20 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 6 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 08/01/26 05:48 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rmzt
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260106_0000363
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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