May 3, 1996 Earthquake: Baotou, Beijing, Hohhot, Nei Mongol, China

Name: May 3, 1996 Earthquake: Baotou, Beijing, Hohhot, Nei Mongol, China
Start: 1996-05-03
Location: Baotou, Beijing, Hohhot, Nei Mongol, China

May 3, 1996 · M6 · 23 deaths

A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Baotou, Beijing, Hohhot, Nei Mongol, China on May 3, 1996 at 03:32:47 UTC, 26 km below the surface. It killed 23 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: May 3, 1996
Time: 03:32:47 UTC
Place: Baotou, Beijing, Hohhot, Nei Mongol, China
Magnitude: 6 (Mw)
Focal depth: 26 km (16 mi)
Intensity: 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 40.774° N, 109.661° E
Country: China

The toll

Deaths: 23
Injuries: 330
Damage: Extreme (about $25 million or more)

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 18 people killed, 300 injured and extensive damage in the Baotou area. Felt at Beijing, Hohhot, Taiyuan, Xian and Yinchuan. Also felt in the Bachu, Kashi, Wuqia and Yecheng areas. (reference #1053)

The earthquake in Bao Tou, Inner Mongolia (at 11:33 am May 3, 1996 Beijing time)

An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 R.S. happened in Gu Yang County of Bao Tou in Inner Mongolia, only about 10 kilometers away from the urban area of Bao Tou city. The epicentral coordinates were at 40.8 N and 109.7 E. The focus depth was 20.5 kilometers and the epicentral intensity was VIII. Up to May 4th, 254 aftershocks occurred, the greatest one being at magnitude 3.9 R.S.

By May 5th, 18 people had died, 297 people injured, 5 people missing and 33 people badly injured. There were 50,000 families and 207,000 people of 9 counties and 60 villages effected. The 110 KW electric wire from Bao Tou to Gu Yang was cut off. The direct loss amounted more than 800 million yuan.

(above from reference #1268)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1996 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1996 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 5439.