The quake occurred in the village of Diebu, an autonomous Tibetan prefecture of Gannan, at 14:56 (06:56 in Lisbon), at a depth of 10 kilometers, with its epicenter located at 34.06 degrees north latitude and 103.25 degrees east longitude, according to the China Seismological Network.
Initial inspections after the tremor revealed cracks in buildings, prompting local authorities to organize the relocation of residents from high-risk areas while a full assessment of the damage is conducted, as reported by the state news agency Xinhua.
Power and water supply, as well as communications, were not affected, according to the same sources. Approximately 350 emergency response, rescue, and disaster prevention personnel were dispatched to the affected area, while state emergency management agencies activated a Level IV emergency response.
Social media users in nearby locations reported feeling the tremor, although no significant damage images have been released. Gansu Province, located in western China, lies within one of the country’s most seismically active zones due to friction between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, particularly in areas near the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau.
Western China, which includes regions like Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Tibet, frequently experiences medium-magnitude seismic activity, though the impact is generally limited due to the low population density in many mountainous areas.
In December 2023, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 in Gansu and neighboring Qinghai Province resulted in over 150 deaths and substantial material damage, marking one of the deadliest quakes recorded in China in recent years.
