March 1, 1997 Earthquake: S. Xinjiang, Jiashi County, Kashi, China
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck S. Xinjiang, Jiashi County, Kashi, China on March 1, 1997 at 06:04:14 UTC, 22 km below the surface. It killed 2 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
- March 1, 1997
- Time
- 06:04:14 UTC
- Place
- S. Xinjiang, Jiashi County, Kashi, China
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 22 km (14 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 39.422° N, 76.839° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 6
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 4,000
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.
Two people killed, six injured, 4,000 houses destroyed and 738 cattle killed in Jiashi County. Also felt at Kashi. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- August 22, 1902, Xinjiang, Turkestan, China
- February 24, 2003, Bachu, S. Xinjiang, China
- August 23, 1985, Wuqua-Shufu, S Xinjiang, China
- June 21, 1898, Xinjiang, China
- March 19, 1996, Artux, Jiashi, Bachu, Kashi, S. Xinjiang, China
- January 21, 1997, Jiashi County, Southern Xinjiang, China
- April 11, 1997, S. Xinjiang, Bachu, Shule, Yingjisha, China
- November 1, 1896, Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China
- March 5, 1896, Xinjiang, China
- February 25, 2003, Bachu, S. Xinjiang, China
- August 27, 1998, Jiashi, Southern Xinjiang, China
- May 4, 2003, Yopurga, S. Xinjiang, China
- January 19, 2020, Xinjiang Province, China
- April 5, 1997, S. Xinjiang, Jiashi County, China
- April 6, 1997, S. Xinjiang, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1997The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1997Recent 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 5452.