On Tuesday Afternoon a Shallow M5.4 AFTERSHOCK struck 273km from Dunhuang in China.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on June 16th, 2026. Last updated July 10th, 2026.

Under land 273 kilometer from Dunhuang in China, a shallow and significant MAG-5.4 aftershock occurred in the late afternoon of Tuesday June 16th, 2026. Earthquakes like this can cause significant economic damage but are usually unlikely to result on large numbers of fatalities.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in China, 273 kilometer (170 mi) south of Dunhuang in Gansu. 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:	Jun 16, 2026 17:45 (Shanghai Time) - Jun 16, 2026 09:45 Universal Time.
Location:	273 km south of Dunhuang, Gansu, China. Coordinates 37°45'16"N 95°16'26"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 264 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.036 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
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.

Significant economic impact

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 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level YELLOW (significant). They expect an 33% likelyhood of between 10 and 100 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 1,000 million USD.

Roughly 360 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 360 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 7,110 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. The majority of people (roughly 340 thousand) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of China .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
120	II	Very weak	None
336,000	III	Weak	Probably none
11,500	IV	Light	Likely none
900	V	Moderate	Very light
7,110	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

This earthquake may have been felt in China . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Dunhuang in Gansu, China. Dunhuang is located 273 kilometer (170 mi) south of the epicenter.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
273 km (170 mi) N from epicenter	Dunhuang Gansu, China.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VII. 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.

This is likely an aftershock

This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the MAG-6.3 earthquake that struck 39 mins earlier. That main earthquake hit 24 km (15 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this MAG-5.4 aftershock.

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
Main Shock	M 6.3	Jun 16, 2026 17:06 (Shanghai Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.7	12 mins later Jun 16, 2026 17:19 (Shanghai Time)	10 km (6 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	15 mins later Jun 16, 2026 17:21 (Shanghai Time)	12 km (8 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.2	20 mins later Jun 16, 2026 17:26 (Shanghai Time)	10 km (6 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.2	36 mins later Jun 16, 2026 17:42 (Shanghai Time)	14 km (9 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock This Earthquake	M 5.4	39 mins later Jun 16, 2026 17:45 (Shanghai Time)	24 km (15 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.5	2 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 18:59 (Shanghai Time)	26 km (16 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	2 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 19:01 (Shanghai Time)	14 km (9 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.5	2 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 19:05 (Shanghai Time)	20 km (12 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	2 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 19:14 (Shanghai Time)	2.7 km (1.7 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	4 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 21:27 (Shanghai Time)	22 km (13 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.3	10 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 02:50 (Shanghai Time)	24 km (15 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.2	13 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 05:52 (Shanghai Time)	16 km (10 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	17 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 10:06 (Shanghai Time)	6 km (4 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.0	18 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 11:25 (Shanghai Time)	9 km (5 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	20 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 13:11 (Shanghai Time)	17 km (11 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	21 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 14:28 (Shanghai Time)	11 km (7 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.3	22 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 14:43 (Shanghai Time)	45 km (28 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.4	22 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 14:43 (Shanghai Time)	15 km (9 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.4	22 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 15:28 (Shanghai Time)	19 km (12 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.4	24 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 16:44 (Shanghai Time)	17 km (10 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.2	1 day later Jun 17, 2026 22:20 (Shanghai Time)	14 km (9 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.5	2 days later Jun 18, 2026 15:11 (Shanghai Time)	16 km (10 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.4	2 days later Jun 18, 2026 21:58 (Shanghai Time)	7 km (5 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. In total, 6 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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

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.

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 5.4. 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 10/07/26 00:28 (). 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.