August 16, 1971 Earthquake: Mabian, Sichuan Province, China
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Mabian, Sichuan Province, China on August 16, 1971 at 04:58:00 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
- August 16, 1971
- Time
- 04:58:00 UTC
- Place
- Mabian, Sichuan Province, China
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 28.900° N, 103.700° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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.
August 16, 1971, 04:58:00.3 UTC, Szechwan Province, China, 28.9 N, 103.7 E, magnitude 5.5 mb. (reference #1053)
August 16, 1971, 12:57:59.0 Beijing time, 28.883 N, 103.783 E, depth 24 km, magnitude 5.9 MS. Three buildings collapsed, people and domestic animals killed in Mabian County. (reference #3959)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 12, 1850, Xichang, Sichuan, China
- May 10, 1974, Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, Chao-T'Ung, China
- July 30, 1917, Yunnan Province, China
- August 3, 2014, Longtoushan, Zhaotong, Ludian, Yunnan, China
- June 1, 1786, S of Kangding, Sichuan Province, China
- September 20, 1933, Sichuan Province, China
- April 20, 2013, Longmen, Sichuan Province, China
- September 5, 2022, Sichuan Province, China
- April 2, 814, Xichang, Sichuan Province, China
- December 18, 1935, Sichuan Province, China
- September 7, 2012, Yiliang, Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, China
- February 14, 1896, Fushun, Sichuan Province, China
- July 22, 2006, Yanjin, China
- 26 BC, Yibin, Sichuan, China
- November 8, 1905, Sichuan Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1971The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1971Recent 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 7923.