On Wednesday afternoon, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Qinghai province in western China. The quake’s epicentre was located near the source of the Yellow River, a vital waterway for northern China. The earthquake occurred at 3:44 p.m. local time (0844 GMT), with the epicentre positioned in Madoi county in the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The tremor struck at a depth of 14 km (8.7 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
Details on the Affected Area and Population
The epicentre was approximately 200 km west of Madoi’s county seat, a town predominantly inhabited by Tibetans, including families of former nomadic herders. Over the years, many of these families have settled into government-built homes in the area. While the region is no stranger to earthquakes, the magnitude of this tremor has caused no significant casualties or damage so far.
Seismic Activity in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
The Qinghai-Tibetan plateau is known for its seismically active nature, and Madoi is no exception. The CENC reported that over the past five years, there have been 102 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or higher within 200 km of Wednesday’s quake. The strongest of these in recent history occurred in 2021, with a magnitude of 7.4.
Regional Earthquake Activity
Wednesday’s earthquake in Qinghai follows a similar seismic event in Tibet just a day earlier. The epicentre of that quake was located approximately 1,000 km northeast of the Qinghai quake. Despite the repeated seismic activity, authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
Residents in the area have been advised to remain cautious while further assessments and aftershocks are being monitored.
