Significant earthquakes of 2003

November 26, 2003 Earthquake: Ludian, Yunnan Province, China

November 26, 2003 · M4.7 · 2,000 houses destroyed

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck Ludian, Yunnan Province, China on November 26, 2003 at 13:38:57 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
November 26, 2003
Time
13:38:57 UTC
Place
Ludian, Yunnan Province, China
Magnitude
4.7 (mb)
Focal depth
33 km (21 mi)
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
27.283° N, 103.753° E
Country
China

The toll

Injuries
4
Damage
Extreme (about $25 million or more)
Houses destroyed
2,000
Houses damaged
2,000

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.

Four people injured and thousands of buildings damaged or

destroyed in Ludian. (reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 2003The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2003Recent 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 5737.