A shallow and significant M5.3 earthquake struck under land 184 kilometer from Ürümqi in China in the early afternoon of Friday May 29th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 184 kilometer (114 mi) south of Ürümqi 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: | May 29, 2026 12:55 (Urumqi Time) - May 29, 2026 06:55 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 184 km south of Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 42°13'46"N 88°19'7"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 258 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.036 . |
| 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 . Turpan in Xinjiang, China is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 106 kilometer (66 mi) southwest of Turpan.
Major cities near this earthquake: Ürümqi is located 184 km to the north. Korla is located 186 km to the west. Turpan is located 106 km to the north-east.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 106 km (66 mi) NE from epicenter |
Turpan Xinjiang, China. |
| 184 km (114 mi) N from epicenter |
Ürümqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 186 km (116 mi) W from epicenter |
Korla Xinjiang, China. |
| 214 km (133 mi) NW from epicenter |
Changji Xinjiang, China. |
| 295 km (183 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shihezi Xinjiang, 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.
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).This is the strongest earthquake in 6 years
Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since August 8th, 2020, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 124 km (77 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2016.
In total, 2 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 5 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 5.3. 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 29/05/26 15:48 (). 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 us7000sp82
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260529_0000106
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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