October 23, 1995 Earthquake: Wuding, Yunnan Province, China
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Wuding, Yunnan Province, China on October 23, 1995 at 22:46:50 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 81 people.
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
- October 23, 1995
- Time
- 22:46:50 UTC
- Place
- Wuding, Yunnan Province, China
- Magnitude
- 6.2 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 26.003° N, 102.227° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- 81
- Injuries
- 800
- Damage
- $80 million
- Houses destroyed
- 200
- Houses damaged
- 200
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 81 people killed, 800 injured and more than 200 houses damaged or destroyed in the Wuding area. Felt strongly at Chuxiong, Dongchuan, Kunming, Qujing, Zhaotong and many other parts of northern Yunnan. Also felt in southwestern Sichuan, China and in northern Vietnam. (reference #1053)
$80 million damage, 46 deaths. (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 12, 1850, Xichang, Sichuan, China
- 1499, Yi Liang, Yunnan Province, China
- January 4, 1500, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China
- September 6, 1833, Yunnan Province, China
- March 16, 1925, Talifu, Yunnan Province, China
- July 13, 1652, Midu, Yunnan Province, China
- September 9, 1680, Yunnan Province, China
- February 26, 1713, S of Xundian, Yunnan Province, China
- December 30, 1763, Yunnan Province, China
- August 3, 2014, Longtoushan, Zhaotong, Ludian, Yunnan, China
- January 8, 1725, Songming, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China
- January 27, 1755, Yunnan Province, China
- May 23, 1761, Yunnan Province, China
- November 3, 1761, Yunnan Province, China
- August 30, 2008, Sichuan Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1995The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1995Recent 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 5424.