An unusually powerful MAG-5.1 earthquake struck under land 27 kilometer from Liuzhou in China in the evening of Monday May 18th, 2026. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 27 kilometer (17 mi) northwest of Liuzhou in Guangxi. 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: | May 18, 2026 21:44 (Shanghai Time) - May 18, 2026 13:44 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 27 km NW of Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. Coordinates 24°28'48"N 109°12'26"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 32 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.055 . |
| 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 . Located 27 kilometer (17 mi) northwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Liuzhou (Guangxi, China) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Liuzhou is located 27 km to the south-east. Nanning is located 206 km to the southwest. Laibin is located 81 km to the south.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 27 km (17 mi) SE from epicenter |
Liuzhou Guangxi, China. |
| 41 km (25 mi) E from epicenter |
Luorong Guangxi, China. |
| 55 km (34 mi) W from epicenter |
Yizhou Guangxi, China. |
| 81 km (50 mi) S from epicenter |
Laibin Guangxi, China. |
| 116 km (72 mi) W from epicenter |
Hechi Guangxi, China. |
| 134 km (83 mi) E from epicenter |
Yangshuo Guangxi, China. |
| 141 km (88 mi) NE from epicenter |
Guilin Guangxi, China. |
| 148 km (92 mi) N from epicenter |
Long’e Guizhou, China. |
| 149 km (93 mi) SE from epicenter |
Guiping Guangxi, China. |
| 157 km (98 mi) S from epicenter |
Guigang Guangxi, China. |
| 159 km (99 mi) SE from epicenter |
Pingnan Guangxi, China. |
| 159 km (99 mi) N from epicenter |
Zhaoxing Guizhou, China. |
| 160 km (99 mi) N from epicenter |
Shuikou Guizhou, China. |
| 168 km (104 mi) N from epicenter |
Shuangjiang Guizhou, China. |
| 184 km (114 mi) N from epicenter |
Hongzhou Guizhou, China. |
| 184 km (114 mi) N from epicenter |
Zhongchao Guizhou, China. |
| 185 km (115 mi) N from epicenter |
Jiuchao Guizhou, China. |
| 195 km (121 mi) N from epicenter |
Liping Guizhou, China. |
| 205 km (127 mi) N from epicenter |
Shangchong Guizhou, China. |
| 205 km (127 mi) S from epicenter |
Yongning Guangxi, China. |
| 206 km (128 mi) SW from epicenter |
Nanning Guangxi, China. |
| 216 km (134 mi) SE from epicenter |
Jinji Guangxi, China. |
| 226 km (140 mi) NW from epicenter |
Dushan Guizhou, China. |
| 227 km (141 mi) SE from epicenter |
Yulin Guangxi, China. |
| 229 km (142 mi) SE from epicenter |
Beiliu Guangxi, China. |
| 234 km (145 mi) E from epicenter |
Babu Guangxi, China. |
| 239 km (149 mi) E from epicenter |
Hezhou Guangxi, China. |
| 239 km (149 mi) SE from epicenter |
Wuzhou Guangxi, China. |
| 245 km (152 mi) SE from epicenter |
Nandu Guangxi, China. |
| 255 km (158 mi) N from epicenter |
Gantang Hunan, China. |
| 255 km (158 mi) NW from epicenter |
Xiaoweizhai Guizhou, China. |
| 258 km (160 mi) NW from epicenter |
Zhouxi Guizhou, China. |
| 258 km (160 mi) NW from epicenter |
Sankeshu Guizhou, China. |
| 261 km (162 mi) NW from epicenter |
Duyun Guizhou, China. |
| 265 km (165 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kaili Guizhou, China. |
| 265 km (165 mi) S from epicenter |
Yashan Guangxi, China. |
| 268 km (167 mi) NW from epicenter |
Xiasi Guizhou, China. |
| 270 km (168 mi) W from epicenter |
Baise Guangxi, China. |
| 272 km (169 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kaitang Guizhou, China. |
| 273 km (170 mi) SE from epicenter |
Ducheng Guangdong, China. |
| 275 km (171 mi) NW from epicenter |
Panghai Guizhou, China. |
| 275 km (171 mi) NW from epicenter |
Longchang Guizhou, China. |
| 276 km (171 mi) E from epicenter |
Nanfeng Guangdong, China. |
| 280 km (174 mi) NW from epicenter |
Lushan Guizhou, China. |
| 283 km (176 mi) S from epicenter |
Qinzhou Guangxi, China. |
| 285 km (177 mi) NW from epicenter |
Dafengdong Guizhou, China. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shangsi Guangxi, China. |
| 288 km (179 mi) NE from epicenter |
Wugang Hunan, China. |
| 294 km (183 mi) SE from epicenter |
Xinyi Guangdong, China. |
| 295 km (183 mi) S from epicenter |
Changle Guangxi, China. |
| 299 km (186 mi) SW from epicenter |
Chongzuo Guangxi, China. |
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 2 places in China.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Nanning, Guangxi, China: 2 people.
- Guilin, Guangxi, China: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Roughly 21 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-5 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 5.0 |
21 hrs earlier May 18, 2026 00:21 (Shanghai Time) | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
May 18, 2026 21:44 (Shanghai Time) | - |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 an unusually powerful earthquake
No earthquake of this strength has struck this region for a long time. Our data goes back 10 years, and no earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been detected within 300 km (186 mi) of this epicenter.
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 5.1. 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 18/05/26 14:38 (). 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 us6000syik
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260518_0000235
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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