DAMAGING M6.3 Earthquake hit 261km from Dunhuang in China on Tuesday Afternoon.

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

Under land 261 kilometer from Dunhuang in China, a DAMAGING and strong MAG-6.3 earthquake occurred in the late afternoon of Tuesday June 16th, 2026. Earthquakes like this can cause significant economic damage and have a significant risk at casualties.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in China, 261 kilometer (162 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 17:06 (Shanghai Time) - Jun 16, 2026 09:06 Universal Time.
Location:	261 km south of Dunhuang, Gansu, China. Coordinates 37°53'20"N 95°24'10"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.3 Detected by 25 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VIII Severe 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 impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level YELLOW (significant). They expect an 39% likelyhood of between 10 and 100 fatalities, and a 94% chance that the number of fatalities falls between 1 and 10,000.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level ORANGE (orange). They expect an 34% likelyhood of between 100 and 1,000 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 93% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls between 10 and 100,000 million USD.

Roughly 460 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 460 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

An estimated 7,830 people were exposed to level VIII. At this level, severe shaking and likely moderate to heavy damage can be expected. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 390 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of China .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
55,630	III	Weak	Probably none
389,700	IV	Light	Likely none
8,390	V	Moderate	Very light
250	VI	Strong	Light
80	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
7,830	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 . Located 261 kilometer (162 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Dunhuang (Gansu, China) is the nearest significant population center.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Jiuquan is located 340 km to the north-east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Dunhuang is located 261 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Jiayuguan is located 329 km to the north-east (intensity unknown, possibly low).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
261 km (162 mi) N from epicenter	Dunhuang Gansu, China.
296 km (184 mi) NE from epicenter	Laojunmiao Gansu, China.	IV Light
329 km (204 mi) NE from epicenter	Jiayuguan Gansu, China.
340 km (211 mi) NE from epicenter	Jiuquan Gansu, China.

Earthquake Intensity Map

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

13 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 13 smaller aftershocks. Just 39 mins after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5.4 was detected 27 km (17 mi) southwest of this earthquake.

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 This Earthquake	M 6.3	Jun 16, 2026 17:06 (Shanghai Time)	-
Aftershock	M 5.2	36 mins later Jun 16, 2026 17:42 (Shanghai Time)	19 km (12 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.4	39 mins later Jun 16, 2026 17:45 (Shanghai Time)	27 km (17 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	2 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 19:01 (Shanghai Time)	15 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	2 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 19:14 (Shanghai Time)	2.6 km (1.6 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	4 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 21:27 (Shanghai Time)	10 km (6 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.2	10 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 02:50 (Shanghai Time)	11 km (7 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.2	13 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 05:52 (Shanghai Time)	6 km (4 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	17 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 10:06 (Shanghai Time)	11 km (7 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	21 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 14:28 (Shanghai Time)	3 km (1.9 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.3	22 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 14:43 (Shanghai Time)	39 km (24 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.4	22 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 15:28 (Shanghai Time)	10 km (6 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.3	24 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 16:44 (Shanghai Time)	26 km (16 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.2	1 day later Jun 17, 2026 22:20 (Shanghai Time)	20 km (13 mi) E from Main Shock.

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.

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).

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 6.3 or higher have been detected within 300 km (186 mi) of this epicenter.

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 6.3. 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 19/06/26 08:08 (). 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.