On Thursday Afternoon a Shallow M5.1 Earthquake struck in China.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 3rd, 2026. Last updated September 4th, 2026.

A shallow and significant MAG-5.1 earthquake struck under land China in the afternoon of Thursday September 3rd, 2026. Other countries near the epicenter include Nepal and India.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in China, 248 kilometer (154 mi) north-east of Dehra Dūn in Uttarakhand. 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:	Sep 3, 2026 02:01PM (Kathmandu Time) - Sep 3, 2026 08:16 Universal Time.
Location:	248 km NE of Dehra Dūn, Uttarakhand, India. Coordinates 31°21'42"N 80°19'48"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.1 Detected by 72 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.067 .
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

Nepal and India are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Dārchulā in Sudurpashchim Pradesh, Nepal. Dārchulā is located 172 kilometer (107 mi) north of the epicenter.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Dehra Dūn is located 248 km to the southwest. Haridwar is located 260 km to the southwest. Haldwani is located 250 km to the south.

A complete list of nearby places is included below.

Overview of nearby places

Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. Just 2 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3.4 was detected 13 km (8 mi) north of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

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

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 13th, 2024, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 283 km (176 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck on October 3rd, 2023.

In total, 6 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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

Sources

Last updated 04/09/26 05:38 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000tdv4
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260903_0000126
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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