May 18, 2020 Earthquake: Qiaojia, Yunnan Province, China
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Qiaojia, Yunnan Province, China on May 18, 2020 at 13:48:03 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 4 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
- May 18, 2020
- Time
- 13:48:03 UTC
- Place
- Qiaojia, Yunnan Province, China
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 27.266° N, 103.288° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- 4
- Injuries
- 24
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million); $17 million with its tsunami and other effects
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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.
The death toll in a 5-magnitude earthquake that struck Qiaojia County in southwest China's Yunnan Province late Monday has risen to four, with 24 others injured, local authorities said Tuesday.
The road traffic to Xiaohe and Xindian townships has remained unblocked. The earthquake damaged 10 telecom base stations. Workers have fixed five of them.
(all above from reference #12712)
17 million USD in total damage (reference #1250)
Four people killed and 28 injured, some houses damaged and power outages occurred in Qiaojia. A road collapsed at Baiyanjiao. Zhaotong, Yunnan, China - CDI: 7; Kunming, Yunnan, China - CDI: 2 (reference #13456)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 12, 1850, Xichang, Sichuan, China
- May 10, 1974, Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, Chao-T'Ung, China
- July 30, 1917, Yunnan Province, China
- August 3, 2014, Longtoushan, Zhaotong, Ludian, Yunnan, China
- April 2, 814, Xichang, Sichuan Province, China
- December 18, 1935, Sichuan Province, China
- September 7, 2012, Yiliang, Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, China
- October 23, 1995, Wuding, Yunnan Province, China
- August 30, 2008, Sichuan Province, China
- May 14, 1930, Yunnan Province, China
- August 17, 1936, Yunnan Province, China
- April 18, 1985, Yunnan Province, China
- July 22, 2006, Yanjin, China
- August 10, 2004, Ludian, Yunnan Province, China
- November 14, 2003, Ludian, Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 2020The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2020Recent 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 10494.