M 6 in China on 18 Dec 2023 15:59 UTC

Event summary

This earthquake can have a high humanitarian impact based on the magnitude and the affected population and their vulnerability.

GDACS ID EQ 1406601
Earthquake Magnitude: 6.0M
Depth: 10 Km
Lat/Lon: 35.7339 , 102.8364
Event Date: 18 Dec 2023 15:59 UTC
18 Dec 2023 23:59 Local
Exposed Population: 160 thousand (in MMI>=VII)
Inserted at: 18 Dec 2023 16:18 UTC
INFORM Coping capacity:
3.6 (China)

GDACS Score

For more info on GDACS alert score click here.
  Earthquake
(Shakemap)		 GDACS score
NEIC 2.2 2.2
us7000ljvg Scaled population (raster) 4.12  
  C1 shakemap -0.37  
  C2 shakemap 0.76  
  Country Vulnerability 0  
  INFORM_normalised 0.82  
Maximum expected impact using different data sources.
Virtual OSOCC
Meteo assessment
Satellite products
Analytical products
China - Earthquake (ECHO 19 Dec 2023)Tue, 19 Dec 2023 12:15

  • An earthquake of 5.9 M at a depth of 10 km occurred in Gansu Province on 18 December at 15.59 UTC (23.59 local time). The epicentre was located approximately 37 km west-northwest of Linxia Chengguanzhen and 100 km south-west of Lanzhou City, the capital and the largest city of Gansu Province).
  • At least four aftershocks of magnitude between 4.2 M and 4.6 M have been recorded in the area. USGS PAGER estimates that up to 117,000 people were exposed to very strong shaking and up to 158,000 to strong shaking.
  • According to media, at least 118 people died and more than 500 others were injured. Moreover, 20 people are still missing following a landslide triggered by the seismic event.
  • National authorities are on the field in the rescue and emergency operations. At least 4,000 firefighters, soldiers, and police officers were dispatched in the rescue efforts.
  • For the next 24 hours, very low temperatures are forecast over the affected area.
M5.9 in China - EC/ECHO daily mapTue, 19 Dec 2023 17:47

A new EC/ECHO daily map is now available
China - Earthquake, update (ECHO 20 Dec 2023)Wed, 20 Dec 2023 11:08

  • After the earthquake of 5.9 M at a depth of 10 km occurred in Gansu Province, very close to the border with the neighbouring Qinghai Province, central China, on 18 December at 15.59 UTC (23.59 local time).
  • According to the State Council of the People's Republic of China, as of 20 December, at least 127 people died, of which 113 in the Gansu Province and 14 more across the Qinghai Province. In addition, media also report more than 700 injured people and approximately 5,000 damaged building across both the affected provinces.
Detailed event map. European Union, 2024. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

Updates on volcanic activity (Smithsonian)

Latest media headlines

Death toll from China earthquake rises to 149, with 2 still missing 12/25/2023 3:42:00 PM.

BEIJING (AP) — The death toll from China ’s most powerful earthquake in years has risen to 149, with two people still missing after the tremor hit northwestern parts of the country last week. The 6.2-magnitude quake struck a remote mountain
...(more)
Quake recovery starts with a bowl of hot beef noodles 12/25/2023 3:07:00 PM.

BEIJING Dec. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn: In freezing temperatures, a simple bowl of beef noodles brings hope to thousands of residents who lost their homes in the magnitude-6.2 earthquake in Gansu provinc
...(more)
Death toll from China earthquake rises to 149, with 2 still missing 12/25/2023 1:39:00 PM.

by The Frontier Post BEIJING (AP): The death toll from China’s most powerful earthquake in years has risen to 149, with two people still missing after the tremor hit northwestern parts of the country last week. The 6.2-magnitude quake st
...(more)
China Has Started Erecting Temporary Housing Units 12/25/2023 1:34:00 PM.

Azernews reports. The death toll rose by nine as search teams dug through heavy mudslides that had inundated two villages, a city official in Qinghai province said Friday morning. Three people remained missing in the mudslides. State broadc
...(more)

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Estimated casualties (PAGER)

USGS estimates the number of casualties for each earthquake for the Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) product.
The graph shows the current fatalities estimate.

Exposed population

Data, images, links, services and documents

For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: EC-JRC (48), (3), NEIC (4), OCHA (1), INGV (1), WMO (1), USGS (5), INFORM (2),