Significant earthquakes of 1994

January 3, 1994 Earthquake: Gonghe, Qinghai Province, China

January 3, 1994 · M5.7 · 56 houses destroyed

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Gonghe, Qinghai Province, China on January 3, 1994 at 05:52:27 UTC, 8 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
January 3, 1994
Time
05:52:27 UTC
Place
Gonghe, Qinghai Province, China
Magnitude
5.7 (Mw)
Focal depth
8 km (5 mi)
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
36.028° N, 100.104° E
Country
China

The toll

Injuries
5
Damage
Limited (under about $1 million)
Houses destroyed
56
Houses damaged
56

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.

Five people injured and at least 56 houses damaged in the Gonghe area. Felt at Xining and Lanzhou. (reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1994The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1994Recent 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 5370.