Unusually powerful M5.9 AFTERSHOCK struck on Sunday Evening 218km from Nagqu in China.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 25th, 2026. Last updated October 26th, 2026.

Under land 218 kilometer from Nagqu in China, an unusually powerful Magnitude 5.9 aftershock occurred in the evening of Sunday October 25th, 2026. Around 130 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in China, 218 kilometer (135 mi) north-east of Nagqu in Tibet. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 7 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Oct 25, 2026 19:25 (Shanghai Time) - Oct 25, 2026 11:25 Universal Time.
Location:	218 km NE of Nagqu, Tibet, China. Coordinates 32°27'45"N 94°3'12"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.9 Detected by 22 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.066 .
Depth:	7 km (4 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.

Minimal impact predicted

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 GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 130 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 130 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

An estimated 10 people were exposed to level VII. At this level, very strong shaking and likely moderate damage can be expected. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 100 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
25,600	III	Weak	Probably none
97,360	IV	Light	Likely none
3,230	V	Moderate	Very light
120	VI	Strong	Light
10	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 . Located 218 kilometer (135 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Nagqu (Tibet, China) is the nearest significant population center.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
218 km (135 mi) SW from epicenter	Nagqu Tibet, China.
330 km (205 mi) SE from epicenter	Qamdo Tibet, China.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VII.

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

Approximately 3 days before this earthquake hit, a larger 7 magnitude earthquake struck 27 km (17 mi) west of this one. For that reason, we classify the Mag. 5.9 earthquake as an 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 7.0	Oct 22, 2026 22:33 (Shanghai Time)	-
Aftershock	M 5.2	38 mins later Oct 22, 2026 23:12 (Shanghai Time)	11 km (7 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.3	1 hr later Oct 22, 2026 23:57 (Shanghai Time)	28 km (18 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	2 hrs later Oct 23, 2026 00:21 (Shanghai Time)	20 km (12 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	2 hrs later Oct 23, 2026 00:45 (Shanghai Time)	11 km (7 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.5	2 hrs later Oct 23, 2026 00:50 (Shanghai Time)	12 km (8 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	2 hrs later Oct 23, 2026 00:57 (Shanghai Time)	7 km (4 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	4 hrs later Oct 23, 2026 02:06 (Shanghai Time)	20 km (12 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.4	10 hrs later Oct 23, 2026 08:24 (Shanghai Time)	26 km (16 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.1	10 hrs later Oct 23, 2026 08:35 (Shanghai Time)	17 km (11 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.2	12 hrs later Oct 23, 2026 10:53 (Shanghai Time)	8 km (5 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	24 hrs later Oct 23, 2026 22:14 (Shanghai Time)	26 km (16 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.5	1 day later Oct 23, 2026 22:41 (Shanghai Time)	42 km (26 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.1	1 day later Oct 23, 2026 23:18 (Shanghai Time)	64 km (40 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	1 day later Oct 24, 2026 04:37 (Shanghai Time)	18 km (11 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.3	1 day later Oct 24, 2026 06:39 (Shanghai Time)	25 km (15 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	1 day later Oct 24, 2026 08:07 (Shanghai Time)	20 km (12 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.3	2 days later Oct 24, 2026 16:39 (Shanghai Time)	32 km (20 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	2 days later Oct 24, 2026 21:26 (Shanghai Time)	22 km (14 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	3 days later Oct 25, 2026 19:24 (Shanghai Time)	10 km (6 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock This Earthquake	M 5.9	3 days later Oct 25, 2026 19:25 (Shanghai Time)	27 km (17 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.5	3 days later Oct 26, 2026 00:46 (Shanghai Time)	20 km (13 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	3 days later Oct 26, 2026 06:01 (Shanghai Time)	22 km (14 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.1	3 days later Oct 26, 2026 07:04 (Shanghai Time)	59 km (37 mi) E from Main Shock.

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.

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

Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. In total, 1 earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 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 10 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 5.9. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 7 km (4 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 26/10/26 08:18 (). 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.