August 18, 2003 Earthquake: Bomi,medog,nyingchi, Tibet (Xizang Province), China

Name: August 18, 2003 Earthquake: Bomi,medog,nyingchi, Tibet (Xizang Province), China
Start: 2003-08-18
Location: Bomi,medog,nyingchi, Tibet (Xizang Province), China

August 18, 2003 · M5.5

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Bomi,medog,nyingchi, Tibet (Xizang Province), China on August 18, 2003 at 09:03:03 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: August 18, 2003
Time: 09:03:03 UTC
Place: Bomi,medog,nyingchi, Tibet (Xizang Province), China
Magnitude: 5.5 (Mw)
Focal depth: 33 km (21 mi)
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 29.573° N, 95.605° E
Country: China

The toll

Damage: Limited (under about $1 million)

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.

Some damage to buildings in Bomi, Medog and

Nyingchi Counties, Xizang. Landslides blocked sections

of the Sichuan-Xizang highway. (reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 2003 The 2000s Every quake the USGS located in 2003 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 5717.