January 10, 1998 Earthquake: Shangyi-Zhangbei, Hebei, Northeastern, China
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Shangyi-Zhangbei, Hebei, Northeastern, China on January 10, 1998 at 03:50:41 UTC, 30 km below the surface. It killed 70 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
- January 10, 1998
- Time
- 03:50:41 UTC
- Place
- Shangyi-Zhangbei, Hebei, Northeastern, China
- Magnitude
- 5.7 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 30 km (19 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 41.083° N, 114.500° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- 70
- Injuries
- 11,500
- Damage
- $285.5 million
- Houses destroyed
- 70,000
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.
1998, Jan 10. Seventy people killed, about 11,500 injured, 44,000 families left homeless, extensive damage and fires in the Shangyi-Zhangbei area. Over 70,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Damage to portions of the Great Wall of China in northwestern Hebei Province. Felt strongly at Zhangjiakou and as far as Beijing. (reference #1053)
$285.50 million damage and 49 deaths. (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- June 28, 1626, Shanxi Province, China
- May 3, 1305, Huairen, Datong, Shanxi Province, China
- September 30, 1730, Beijing, China
- September 294, Beijing, China
- October 6, 1628, Hebei Province, China
- October 18, 1989, Shanxi and Hebei Provinces, Datong, China
- March 11, 1999, Zhangbei County, NE, China
- December 31, 1956, Hebei Province, China
- July 12, 1720, Hebei Province, China
- September 8, 1337, Huailai, Hebei, China
- November 1, 1999, Northeastern, Shanxi, China
- March 25, 1991, NE, Datong, China
- January 26, 1911, Hebei Province, China
- January 29, 1484, Beijing, China
- April 1022, Datong, Shaanxi Province, 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 5481.