Under land 156 kilometer from Tinsukia in India, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurred deep in the night of Thursday January 22nd, 2026. Other countries near the epicenter include China and Myanmar.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in India, 156 kilometer (97 mi) east of Tinsukia in Assam. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 30 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 22, 2026 03:13 (Kolkata Time) - Jan 21, 2026 21:43 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 156 km east of Tinsukia, Assam, India. Coordinates 27°18'48"N 96°55'31"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 163 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.045 . |
| Depth: | 30 km (19 mi) A quite 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
India , China and Myanmar are all located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Margherita in Assam, India. Margherita is located 124 kilometer (77 mi) east of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 124 km (77 mi) W from epicenter |
Margherita Assam, India. |
| 129 km (80 mi) W from epicenter |
Digboi Assam, India. |
| 138 km (86 mi) W from epicenter |
Dum Duma Assam, India. |
| 148 km (92 mi) W from epicenter |
Mākum Assam, India. |
| 156 km (97 mi) W from epicenter |
Tinsukia Assam, India. |
| 156 km (97 mi) W from epicenter |
Nahorkatiya Assam, India. |
| 159 km (99 mi) W from epicenter |
Nāmrup Assam, India. |
| 160 km (99 mi) W from epicenter |
Duliāgaon Assam, India. |
| 178 km (111 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Pāsighāt Arunachal Pradesh, India. |
| 192 km (119 mi) W from epicenter |
Sonāri Assam, India. |
| 196 km (122 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Mon Nagaland, India. |
| 200 km (124 mi) W from epicenter |
Dibrugarh Assam, India. |
| 205 km (127 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Shangpa Yunnan, China. |
| 219 km (136 mi) W from epicenter |
Silapathar Assam, India. |
| 137 mi (220 km) SSE from epicenter |
Myitkyina Kachin, Myanmar. |
| 229 km (142 mi) W from epicenter |
Sibsāgar Assam, India. |
| 230 km (143 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Along Arunachal Pradesh, India. |
| 239 km (149 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Tuensang Nagaland, India. |
| 241 km (150 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Yingpan Yunnan, China. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SE from epicenter |
Ruidian Yunnan, China. |
| 252 km (157 mi) SE from epicenter |
Liuku Yunnan, China. |
| 259 km (161 mi) SE from epicenter |
Mingguang Yunnan, China. |
| 259 km (161 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Houqiao Yunnan, China. |
| 263 km (163 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Mokokchūng Nagaland, India. |
| 268 km (167 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Jinding Yunnan, China. |
| 269 km (167 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Mariāni Assam, India. |
| 269 km (167 mi) SE from epicenter |
Gudong Yunnan, China. |
| 269 km (167 mi) E from epicenter |
Judian Yunnan, China. |
| 271 km (168 mi) SE from epicenter |
Jietou Yunnan, China. |
| 277 km (172 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Jorhāt Assam, India. |
| 279 km (173 mi) W from epicenter |
North Lakhimpur Assam, India. |
| 280 km (174 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Shangri-La Yunnan, China. |
| 281 km (175 mi) SE from epicenter |
Mazhan Yunnan, China. |
| 282 km (175 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Zunheboto Nagaland, India. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SE from epicenter |
Qushi Yunnan, China. |
| 291 km (181 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Zhonghe Yunnan, China. |
| 297 km (185 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Wokha Nagaland, India. |
| 298 km (185 mi) SE from epicenter |
Beihai Yunnan, China. |
| 299 km (186 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Hehua Yunnan, China. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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 5th, 2024, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 91 km (57 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck on May 31st, 2023.
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 30 km (19 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/02/26 00:48 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rr7m
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260121_0000427
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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