September 27, 1944 Earthquake: Xinjiang, China
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Xinjiang, China on September 27, 1944 at 16:25:07 UTC.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- September 27, 1944
- Time
- 16:25:07 UTC
- Place
- Xinjiang, China
- Magnitude
- 7 (Ms)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 39.100° N, 75.000° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Some (about 51 to 100)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
September 28, 1944, 00:25:07 local time, Southwest of Kashi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, 39.1 N, 75 E, magnitude 7.
Houses and walls in Tuokaiyi region collapsed or split.
Postan Tierek: A part of the civilian dwellings collapsed, many rocks fell down from hills. Fissures occurred in loess layers on hills, the largest 50-60 cm wide and extending for more than 100 m intermittently. A slump occurred on a nearby earth hill, with a horizontal displacement of about 5 m. Some old wells dried up, and some new springs emerged. Several yaks were killed by fallen rocks.
Qimugan: Houses collapsed, damage was serious. Huge rocks fell down from the mountain cliffs.
Maorituokoi: Steep cliffs toppled down blocking canals.
Kealetar: Rocks fell down, two goats fell from the rocks and were dashed to death.
Niaoyitar: Rocks rolled down the mountain; hanging objects swayed and fell.
The shock was felt in Shule, Qiaomu1un and Bulunkou.
(above from reference #3939)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- August 22, 1902, Xinjiang, Turkestan, China
- February 24, 2003, Bachu, S. Xinjiang, China
- October 5, 2008, Nura, Kyrgyzstan
- August 23, 1985, Wuqua-Shufu, S Xinjiang, China
- June 21, 1898, Xinjiang, China
- March 19, 1996, Artux, Jiashi, Bachu, Kashi, S. Xinjiang, China
- January 21, 1997, Jiashi County, Southern Xinjiang, China
- April 11, 1997, S. Xinjiang, Bachu, Shule, Yingjisha, China
- May 10, 2017, Quzgun, Taxkorgan Tajik, Xinjiang, China
- November 1, 1896, Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China
- March 5, 1896, Xinjiang, China
- March 1, 1997, S. Xinjiang, Jiashi County, Kashi, China
- November 25, 2016, Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China
- August 29, 1963, Xinjiang, China
- February 12, 2021, Haripur, Tajikistan, Pakistan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1944The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1944Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 8019.