Magnitude 4.0 Earthquake Strikes China’s Xinjiang Region

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck China’s Xinjiang region late Sunday night, October 18, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The earthquake occurred at 10:55 PM IST, with its epicentre located at latitude 36.683° North and longitude 77.064° East.

According to the NCS, the earthquake originated at a depth of 190 kilometres beneath the Earth’s surface, classifying it as an intermediate-to-deep-focus earthquake. Due to its considerable depth, the resulting tremors were likely to be less intense at the surface than those from a comparable shallow earthquake.

In a post on X, the NCS confirmed the magnitude, time, geographical coordinates and depth of the seismic event. No immediate reports of casualties or major structural damage had been received following the earthquake. Local emergency management agencies were monitoring the situation.

China has experienced frequent seismic activity because of its geographical location and complex tectonic setting. The country lies between two major seismic belts — the circum-Pacific seismic belt and the circum-Indian seismic belt. Interactions involving the Pacific, Indian and Philippine tectonic plates have contributed to the development of numerous seismic fault zones across the region.

According to the report, more than 800 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above have occurred in China since the beginning of the 20th century. Earthquakes have affected almost all Chinese provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, with Guizhou, Zhejiang and Hong Kong cited as exceptions.

Since 1949, China has experienced more than 100 destructive earthquakes across its provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, including 14 in East China. These disasters have collectively claimed more than 270,000 lives, accounting for 54 per cent of the country’s total deaths caused by natural disasters. Earthquake-affected districts have covered approximately 300,000 square kilometres, while more than seven million rooms have been destroyed.

The report also recalled a magnitude 4.1 earthquake on July 4, 2026, which struck China near the Myanmar border. That earthquake occurred at a much shallower depth of 10 kilometres. Shallow earthquakes generally pose greater risks because seismic waves travel shorter distances to the surface, potentially producing stronger ground shaking and greater damage.

Experts continue to identify earthquakes and other natural disasters as major challenges for China.