The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) on Thursday reported a magnitude 4.7 earthquake in Xinjiang. Sharing the details on X, the NCS said: “EQ of M: 4.7, On: 06/11/2025 06:32:18 IST, Lat: 37.88 N, Long: 75.06 E, Depth: 220 km, Location: Xinjiang.”
This tremor comes just days after a magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck China on October 26. According to the NCS, that quake occurred at a depth of 130 km. Posting on X at the time, the agency noted: “EQ of M: 4.9, On: 26/10/2025 20:32:59 IST, Lat: 29.15 N, Long: 100.00 E, Depth: 130 km, Location: China.”
The region has been witnessing consistent moderate seismic activity in recent months. On September 8, Xinjiang recorded a magnitude 4.2 earthquake at a depth of 50 km, followed a day earlier by a magnitude 4.1 quake in China at a shallow depth of just 10 km — the type of quake known to cause stronger surface shaking.
Experts note that shallow earthquakes tend to be more damaging because seismic waves travel a shorter distance to the surface, resulting in more intense ground motion.
China’s geographic position makes it one of the world’s most earthquake-prone regions. It lies between the circum-Pacific and circum-Indian seismic belts and is affected by the movements of the Pacific, Indian and Philippine plates, creating extensive seismic fracture zones.
Since the early 20th century, China has experienced more than 800 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher. Almost all provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions — except Guizhou, Zhejiang and Hong Kong — have recorded significant seismic events. According to the Science Museums of China, over 5,50,000 people have died in earthquakes in the country since 1900, accounting for 53 per cent of global earthquake casualties.
Since 1949 alone, China has recorded over 100 destructive earthquakes, including 14 in East China, causing more than 2,70,000 deaths and destroying over 7 million rooms across an area of 300,000 square kilometres.
Experts warn that earthquakes and other natural disasters continue to pose serious challenges to China, even in stable times.
