M4.5 Earthquake Strikes Western China

Kuqa, Xinjiang, China — A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook a remote stretch of western China on Monday evening, striking deep in the Xinjiang region about 97 miles southeast of Kuqa. The quake hit at 7:56 PM Central time (8:56 AM Tuesday in Beijing).

What happened:

The U.S. Geological Survey reports the earthquake measured magnitude 4.5 and was centered about 156 kilometers southeast of Kuqa, in China's Xinjiang region. It struck at a depth of 10 kilometers — about 6 miles — which counts as shallow, so shaking could be felt strongly near the epicenter.

Impacts:

No tsunami threat was flagged with this quake. In the initial USGS data, no felt reports had been posted and no damage assessments were available. The epicenter sits in a sparsely populated area of the Xinjiang desert region.

What to do:

- If shaking starts: drop, cover, and hold on under a sturdy table until it stops.

- After shaking: check for hazards like broken glass, cracked walls, or the smell of gas.

- Expect possible aftershocks — smaller quakes can follow the main one.

- Stay out of elevators after a quake; take the stairs.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 19, 2026.