Shallow M5.4 AFTERSHOCK struck on Wednesday Night 210km from Nagqu in China.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 27th, 2026. Last updated October 28th, 2026.

Under land 210 kilometer from Nagqu in China, a shallow and significant MAG-5.4 aftershock occurred in the night of Wednesday October 28th, 2026. Around 110 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in China, 210 kilometer (130 mi) north-east of Nagqu in Tibet. 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:	Oct 28, 2026 02:57 (Shanghai Time) - Oct 27, 2026 18:57 Universal Time.
Location:	210 km NE of Nagqu, Tibet, China. Coordinates 32°32'20"N 93°54'10"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 157 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.046 .
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.

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 110 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 110 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is VI, which corresponds with strong shaking and probably light damage. Roughly 30 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 60 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably 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
63,180	III	Weak	Probably none
46,370	IV	Light	Likely none
480	V	Moderate	Very light
30	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 Nagqu in Tibet, China. Nagqu is located 210 kilometer (130 mi) north-east of the epicenter.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
210 km (130 mi) SW from epicenter	Nagqu Tibet, 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 was an aftershock. A larger mag. 5.9 earthquake struck 16 km (10 mi) south-east in advance of this 5.4 earthquake around 2 days earlier.

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
Foreshock	M 7.0	3 days earlier Oct 22, 2026 22:33 (Shanghai Time)	27 km (17 mi) W from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 5.2	3 days earlier Oct 22, 2026 23:12 (Shanghai Time)	18 km (11 mi) W from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.3	3 days earlier Oct 22, 2026 23:57 (Shanghai Time)	7 km (4 mi) N from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.9	3 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 00:21 (Shanghai Time)	11 km (7 mi) W from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.6	3 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 00:45 (Shanghai Time)	29 km (18 mi) W from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.5	3 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 00:50 (Shanghai Time)	16 km (10 mi) W from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.7	3 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 00:57 (Shanghai Time)	28 km (17 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 5.0	3 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 02:06 (Shanghai Time)	12 km (7 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.4	2 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 08:24 (Shanghai Time)	34 km (21 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.1	2 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 08:35 (Shanghai Time)	11 km (7 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.2	2 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 10:53 (Shanghai Time)	33 km (21 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.7	2 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 22:14 (Shanghai Time)	16 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.5	2 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 22:41 (Shanghai Time)	16 km (10 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.1	2 days earlier Oct 23, 2026 23:18 (Shanghai Time)	89 km (55 mi) W from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.8	2 days earlier Oct 24, 2026 04:37 (Shanghai Time)	10 km (6 mi) W from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.3	2 days earlier Oct 24, 2026 06:39 (Shanghai Time)	24 km (15 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.9	1 day earlier Oct 24, 2026 08:07 (Shanghai Time)	16 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 5.3	1 day earlier Oct 24, 2026 16:39 (Shanghai Time)	11 km (7 mi) N from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.6	22 hrs earlier Oct 24, 2026 21:26 (Shanghai Time)	36 km (22 mi) W from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 5.1	2 mins earlier Oct 25, 2026 19:24 (Shanghai Time)	19 km (12 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Main Shock	M 5.9	Oct 25, 2026 19:25 (Shanghai Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.5	5 hrs later Oct 26, 2026 00:46 (Shanghai Time)	21 km (13 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	11 hrs later Oct 26, 2026 06:01 (Shanghai Time)	47 km (29 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.1	12 hrs later Oct 26, 2026 07:04 (Shanghai Time)	34 km (21 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.9	1 day later Oct 27, 2026 05:24 (Shanghai Time)	77 km (48 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock This Earthquake	M 5.4	2 days later Oct 28, 2026 02:57 (Shanghai Time)	17 km (10 mi) NW 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.

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).

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 28/10/26 07:38 (). 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.