A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 193 kilometers northwest of Oula Xiuma, China, on July 28, 2026, at 03:34 UTC, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. It came from a depth of 10 kilometers, at 35.4257 degrees north, 99.5723 degrees east. The nearest populated place is Ziketan, population 24,758.
One person reported feeling it. That report put the maximum shaking at 7.2 on the Modified Mercalli scale, which the tracker calls severe. The USGS PAGER system issued a yellow alert, which means local impact is possible. In all, 249 seismic stations picked up the event, and the USGS gave it a significance rating of 650.
A second listing of the same quake gives slightly different figures: 190 kilometers from Oula Xiuma and a time of 03:16 UTC. Both put the depth at about 10 kilometers.
What the numbers mean
Depth does a lot of the work here. Shallow quakes shake the surface harder than deep ones of the same size, and at 10 kilometers this one released its energy close to the ground. Scientists treat a magnitude 5.8 as moderate. It can cause light damage to buildings near the epicenter.
The energy released is roughly that of 8 kilotons of TNT. Fault-scaling estimates put the rupture length at about 6.1 kilometers.
Aftershocks
Aftershocks are common in the hours and days after a quake this size, and sequences can run for days to weeks before fading. Anyone who feels shaking should drop, cover and hold on. The USGS monitors aftershock activity.
Sources
- M5.8 Earthquake â 190 km NW of Oula Xiuma, China (28 Jul 2026)
- M5.8 Earthquake Oula Xiuma, China — July 28, 2026 | 1 Felt Reports
