Under land 39 kilometer from Zhaotong in China, a shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake occurred in the evening of Monday January 19th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 39 kilometer (24 mi) southwest of Zhaotong in Yunnan. 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 19, 2026 19:32 (Shanghai Time) - Jan 19, 2026 11:32 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 39 km SW of Zhaotong, Yunnan, China. Coordinates 27°5'29"N 103°25'5"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 120 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.052 . |
| 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
This earthquake may have been felt in China . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Zhaotong in Yunnan, China. Zhaotong is located 39 kilometer (24 mi) southwest of the epicenter.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Zhaotong is located 39 km to the north-east. Kunming is located 239 km to the south-southwest. Liupanshui is located 151 km to the east-southeast.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 39 km (24 mi) NE from epicenter |
Zhaotong Yunnan, China. |
| 85 km (53 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Weining Guizhou, China. |
| 145 km (90 mi) NW from epicenter |
Xichang Sichuan, China. |
| 151 km (94 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Liupanshui Guizhou, China. |
| 159 km (99 mi) NE from epicenter |
Xunsi Sichuan, China. |
| 161 km (100 mi) NE from epicenter |
Junlian Sichuan, China. |
| 177 km (110 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Shuanglong Sichuan, China. |
| 178 km (111 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Panzhihua Sichuan, China. |
| 182 km (113 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Qujing Yunnan, China. |
| 183 km (114 mi) NE from epicenter |
Wenjiang Sichuan, China. |
| 185 km (115 mi) NE from epicenter |
Qingfu Sichuan, China. |
| 186 km (116 mi) E from epicenter |
Bijie Guizhou, China. |
| 197 km (122 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Xiangjiaba Yunnan, China. |
| 198 km (123 mi) NE from epicenter |
Xunchang Sichuan, China. |
| 210 km (130 mi) NE from epicenter |
Bowangshan Sichuan, China. |
| 211 km (131 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Baixi Sichuan, China. |
| 219 km (136 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Zhongxin Yunnan, China. |
| 220 km (137 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Juexi Sichuan, China. |
| 221 km (137 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Yibin Sichuan, China. |
| 221 km (137 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Liuzhi Guizhou, China. |
| 222 km (138 mi) NE from epicenter |
Changning Sichuan, China. |
| 225 km (140 mi) NE from epicenter |
Gusong Sichuan, China. |
| 232 km (144 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Xuyong Sichuan, China. |
| 239 km (149 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kunming Yunnan, China. |
| 240 km (149 mi) NE from epicenter |
Luolong Sichuan, China. |
| 242 km (150 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Majie Yunnan, China. |
| 243 km (151 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Guanyin Sichuan, China. |
| 244 km (152 mi) NE from epicenter |
Jiang’an Sichuan, China. |
| 248 km (154 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nanxi Sichuan, China. |
| 251 km (156 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Baihua Sichuan, China. |
| 253 km (157 mi) W from epicenter |
Daxing Yunnan, China. |
| 253 km (157 mi) S from epicenter |
Shilin Yunnan, China. |
| 254 km (158 mi) NE from epicenter |
Huguo Sichuan, China. |
| 258 km (160 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Gulin Sichuan, China. |
| 258 km (160 mi) SE from epicenter |
Xingren Guizhou, China. |
| 259 km (161 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Anning Yunnan, China. |
| 259 km (161 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kongtan Sichuan, China. |
| 262 km (163 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Luocheng Sichuan, China. |
| 266 km (165 mi) W from epicenter |
Yongbei Yunnan, China. |
| 267 km (166 mi) SE from epicenter |
Xingyi Guizhou, China. |
| 267 km (166 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Anshun Guizhou, China. |
| 268 km (167 mi) NE from epicenter |
Naxi Sichuan, China. |
| 270 km (168 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Haikou Yunnan, China. |
| 276 km (171 mi) W from epicenter |
Sanchuan Yunnan, China. |
| 277 km (172 mi) N from epicenter |
Leshan Sichuan, China. |
| 281 km (175 mi) NE from epicenter |
Luzhou Sichuan, China. |
| 283 km (176 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Zigong Sichuan, China. |
| 288 km (179 mi) S from epicenter |
Zhongshu Yunnan, China. |
| 297 km (185 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Longquan Yunnan, China. |
| 298 km (185 mi) NE from epicenter |
Fuji Sichuan, China. |
| 299 km (186 mi) S from epicenter |
Miyang Yunnan, China. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).This is the strongest earthquake in 4 years
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since January 2nd, 2022, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 278 km (173 mi) further west-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck on June 17th, 2019.
In total, 5 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 2 years.
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 26/01/26 11:58 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rqjl
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260119_0000131
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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