Shallow M5.6 Earthquake hit 25mi from China on Monday Morning.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on January 19th, 2026. Last updated February 16th, 2026.

In the morning of Monday January 19th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit 25 miles from China. Around 2.8 million people have been exposed to shaking. Other countries near the epicenter include Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake struck 25 miles (40 km) from China The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 23 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jan 19, 2026 11:21 (Karachi Time) - Jan 19, 2026 06:21 Universal Time.
Location:	294 km north of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Coordinates 36°42'37"N 74°24'15"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.6 Detected by 26 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.061 .
Depth:	23 km (14 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 2.8 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 2.8 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

Moderate shaking and very light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 4,420 people. At V, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 1.9 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 4 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Pakistan , around 2.7 million people, with impact levels up to V (moderate shaking, very light damage). A smaller number of people were exposed in the following countries: China, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
473,700	II	Very weak	None
1,905,000	III	Weak	Probably none
414,400	IV	Light	Likely none
4,420	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

4 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Pakistan , China and Tajikistan . Futher away, this earthquake may also have been felt in India.

Located 238 kilometer (148 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Thal (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) is the nearest significant population center. Thal experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Srinagar is located 294 km to the south (intensity unknown, possibly low). Battagram is located 258 km to the south-southwest (intensity unknown, possibly low). Muzaffarābād is located 274 km to the south-southwest (intensity unknown, possibly low).

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
238 km (148 mi) SW from epicenter	Thal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.	III Weak
240 km (149 mi) ENE from epicenter	Huoshilafu Xinjiang, China.	III Weak
249 km (155 mi) W from epicenter	Ishqoshim Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan.
256 km (159 mi) S from epicenter	Bandipura Jammu and Kashmir, India.
258 km (160 mi) SSW from epicenter	Battagram Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
259 km (161 mi) ENE from epicenter	Kaqun Xinjiang, China.
267 km (166 mi) WNW from epicenter	Khorugh Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan.
270 km (168 mi) S from epicenter	Sopur Jammu and Kashmir, India.
274 km (170 mi) SSW from epicenter	Muzaffarābād Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.
278 km (173 mi) S from epicenter	Gāndarbal Jammu and Kashmir, India.
278 km (173 mi) S from epicenter	Bāramūla Jammu and Kashmir, India.
282 km (175 mi) SW from epicenter	Upper Dir Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
283 km (176 mi) SW from epicenter	Mingora Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
286 km (178 mi) SSW from epicenter	Mansehra Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
293 km (182 mi) NE from epicenter	Qarek Xinjiang, China.
294 km (183 mi) S from epicenter	Soyībug Jammu and Kashmir, India.
294 km (183 mi) S from epicenter	Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VI. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 3 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in 3 places, all within Pakistan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Hunza, Northern Areas, Pakistan: 1 person.
Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan: 1 person.
Gilgit, Northern Areas, Pakistan: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit 11 mins later 10 km (6 mi) north of this earthquake.

Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 8 hrs earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.3

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 4.3	8 hrs earlier Jan 19, 2026 03:08 (Karachi Time)	29 km (18 mi) NNE from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.6	Jan 19, 2026 11:21 (Karachi Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.6	11 mins later Jan 19, 2026 11:32 (Karachi Time)	10 km (6 mi) N from Main Shock.

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

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 are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 19th, 2025, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 289 km (180 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on February 23rd, 2023.

In total, 7 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 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 year.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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	This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 23 km (14 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 16/02/26 01:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.