September 22, 1989 Earthquake: Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, China
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, China on September 22, 1989 at 02:25:50 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It killed 1 person.
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 22, 1989
- Time
- 02:25:50 UTC
- Place
- Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, China
- Magnitude
- 6.1 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 15 km (9 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 31.583° N, 102.433° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 151
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 4,270
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.
At least 54 people injured, about 4,270 houses destroyed, more than 300 animals killed and damage caused to bridges, highways, and to a phosphorous mine in Xiaojin County. (reference #1053)
42 towns in 13 counties of Abei Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture were affected. The total
number of families in the disaster-beaten area reached more than 22,800 that including 120,000 people.
1 person died, 14 people badly injured, 137 people slightly wounded, some 6,000 livestock killed. The direct loss totaled some 200 million yuan. (reference #1268)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 12, 2008, Sichuan Province, China
- August 25, 1933, Sichuan Province, China
- March 24, 1923, Sichuan Province, China
- December 8, 1816, Sichuan Province, China
- August 30, 1904, Sichuan Province, China
- August 29, 1893, Sichuan Province, China
- September 7, 1792, N of Qianning, Sichuan Province, China
- May 15, 1793, Near Qianning, Sichuan Province, China
- March 6, 1932, Sichuan Province, China
- April 20, 2013, Longmen, Sichuan Province, China
- January 23, 1981, Sichuan Province, China
- April 14, 1955, Sichuan Province, China
- October 8, 1941, Sichuan Province, China
- March 6, 1748, Sichuan Province, China
- November 22, 2014, Garze, Sichuan Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1989The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1989Recent 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 5211.