March 19, 1998 Earthquake: Artux, Kashgar, Southern Xinjiang, China
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Artux, Kashgar, Southern Xinjiang, China on March 19, 1998 at 13:51:33 UTC, 33 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 19, 1998
- Time
- 13:51:33 UTC
- Place
- Artux, Kashgar, Southern Xinjiang, China
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 39.977° N, 76.731° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 400
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.
1998, March 19. About 400 houses destroyed and some livestock killed 90 km northeast of Artux. Felt at Artux and Kashi. Also felt at Almaty, Kazakhstan. (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
- February 25, 2003, Bachu, S. Xinjiang, China
- August 27, 1998, Jiashi, Southern Xinjiang, China
- March 1, 1997, S. Xinjiang, Jiashi County, Kashi, China
- January 19, 2020, Xinjiang Province, China
- May 4, 2003, Yopurga, S. Xinjiang, China
- August 11, 2011, Southern, Kashi, Xinjiang Province, China
- April 5, 1997, S. Xinjiang, Jiashi County, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1998The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1998Recent 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 5488.