March 25, 1991 Earthquake: NE, Datong, China
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck NE, Datong, China on March 25, 1991 at 18:02:41 UTC, 10 km below the surface.
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
- March 25, 1991
- Time
- 18:02:41 UTC
- Place
- NE, Datong, China
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 39.887° N, 113.923° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Injuries
- 131
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 1,328
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.
131 people injured and 1,328 houses damaged in the Dotong area. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 9, 1038, Dingxiang, Xinxian, Shaanxi Province, China
- June 28, 1626, Shanxi Province, China
- May 21, 512, Yingxian, Shaanxi Province, China
- May 3, 1305, Huairen, Datong, Shanxi Province, China
- November 22, 1683, Shanxi Province, China
- September 30, 1730, Beijing, China
- September 294, Beijing, China
- January 10, 1998, Shangyi-Zhangbei, Hebei, Northeastern, China
- October 6, 1628, Hebei Province, China
- October 18, 1989, Shanxi and Hebei Provinces, Datong, China
- September 22, 1898, Shanxi Province, China
- November 1, 1999, Northeastern, Shanxi, China
- January 26, 1911, Hebei Province, China
- April 1022, Datong, Shaanxi Province, China
- October 8, 1952, Shanxi Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1991The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1991Recent 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 5277.