6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Qinghai’s Haixi Prefecture: 1 Dead, Several Injured

According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, on June 16, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province (37.80°N, 95.56°E), followed by eight consecutive aftershocks spread out over 40 minutes. The quake has so far resulted in one death and eight injuries, all of which were minor injuries, and all injured individuals have been discharged from the hospital. Strong tremors were also felt in Gansu, Xinjiang, and other provinces. Haixi Prefecture experienced another magnitude 4.1 earthquake on June 17.

After the earthquake, China activated a Level IV national earthquake emergency response and dispatched a working team. Qinghai Province activated a Level II provincial earthquake emergency response.

The earthquake caused cracks in some buildings within a 50 km radius of the epicenter. All scenic areas in the Dachaidan region were closed, and over 90 percent of tourists were evacuated in batches to two nearby cities. Train delays occurred on multiple routes along the Xining–Geermu section of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway due to the quake.

Incident lasted 40 minutes

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Haixi Prefecture at 17:06 on June 16 (37.80°N, 95.56°E), at a depth of 10 km, followed by a rapid series of aftershocks over the next 40 minutes.

At 17:12, a magnitude 3.8 quake occurred (37.79°N, 95.55°E), followed by another 3.8 at 17:19 (37.88°N, 95.44°E). At 17:26 and 17:29, two magnitude 3.0 quakes struck (37.77°N, 95.48°E; 37.86°N, 95.58°E), at depths of 18 km and 10 km respectively.

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Further tremors followed at 17:34 (M3.1, 37.82°N, 95.54°E), 17:42 (M4.4, 37.90°N, 95.47°E), and 17:45 (M4.9, 37.81°N, 95.53°E), all at 10 km depth.

According to National Business Daily, the epicenter area is close to several salt lakes in Dachaidan and Chaka regions, involving listed companies such as Salt Lake Co. and Zangge Mining. Representatives from these companies stated that although the tremors were strongly felt locally, production and operations were not affected.

Videos circulating on Douyin show residents rushing into the streets to evacuate. During the shaking, people outdoors crouched on the ground for safety, while those indoors screamed and fled outside. Roads buckled with raised cracks and long fissures, and supermarkets were left in disarray as wall tiles fell and goods toppled from shelves.

Local netizens in Qinghai reported that supermarket shelves were completely overturned and wall tiles fell to the ground. Others said roads were severely damaged. Some wrote that Xining also clearly felt the quake, and that “running a second slower could have meant being hit.” In Xinjiang, users in Golmud reported that beds were shaking. In Gansu, residents in Dunhuang also felt strong tremors.

Other mainland users questioned the effectiveness of earthquake warning systems, asking why accurate prediction remains unsolved and criticizing existing alerts. Some noted that people are already facing a difficult year, now compounded by further natural disasters.

Others referenced circulating videos that had suggested a magnitude 6+ earthquake around June 16 or June 30, expressing surprise that it appeared to come true. Many also warned that a 6.3-magnitude quake is already significant and urged caution about ongoing aftershocks.

Today, June 17, Haixi Prefecture also experienced another magnitude 4.1 earthquake.