Ziketan, a town of 24,758 people, is the nearest populated place to a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck northwest China on July 28, 2026. The epicenter was 193 kilometers northwest of Oula Xiuma, at 35.4257 degrees north, 99.5723 degrees east. The time was 03:34 UTC, about 10:34 in the morning local time, and the depth was 10 kilometers.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s PAGER system issued a yellow alert, which signals that local impact is possible. One person reported feeling the shaking, with a maximum intensity of 7.2 on the Modified Mercalli scale, rated severe. The event was picked up by 249 seismic stations and given a significance rating of 650.
A magnitude 5.8 quake releases about as much energy as 8 kilotons of TNT. Fault-scaling estimates put the rupture at roughly 6.1 kilometers long.
One account of the event said there were no confirmed injuries or significant damage and that authorities were assessing the situation. The USGS said aftershocks from a quake of this size are monitored continuously and can continue for days to weeks, fading gradually.
Sources
- M5.8 Earthquake Oula Xiuma, China — July 28, 2026 | 1 Felt Reports
- M 5.8 – 191 Km NW Of Oula Xiuma, China – The Genius Factory
