August 13, 2005 Earthquake: Wenshan, Yunnan Province, China
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck Wenshan, Yunnan Province, China on August 13, 2005 at 04:58:44 UTC, 10 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 13, 2005
- Time
- 04:58:44 UTC
- Place
- Wenshan, Yunnan Province, China
- Magnitude
- 4.5 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 23.627° N, 104.103° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Injuries
- 26
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Some (about 51 to 100)
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100)
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.
At least 26 people injured, several houses destroyed and roads and reservoirs damaged in Wenshan County.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 4, 1970, Hanoi, Yunnan Province, Vietnam, China
- January 4, 1500, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China
- 1499, Yi Liang, Yunnan Province, China
- November 30, 1606, Jianshui, Yunnan Province, China
- December 16, 1887, Yunnan Province, China
- August 27, 1799, Yunnan Province, China
- December 30, 1763, Yunnan Province, China
- December 21, 1913, Yunnan Province, China
- November 24, 1814, Siping, Yunnan Province, China
- January 8, 1725, Songming, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China
- April 6, 1940, Yunnan Province, China
- May 23, 1761, Yunnan Province, China
- 1560, Yunnan Province, China
- February 8, 1755, Yunnan Province, China
- November 3, 1761, Yunnan Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 2005The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2005Recent 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 6769.