On April 16, at 14:41 local time, a 3.1 magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County in Shigatse City, Tibet. The quake had a depth of 10 kilometers, marking the second earthquake in the area since last Thursday, April 10.
According to the China Earthquake Networks Center official WeChat account, the epicenter of the earthquake was located at 29.02 degrees north latitude and 87.04 degrees east longitude, with an average altitude of about 4985 meters within a 5-kilometer radius of the epicenter.
Data from the China Earthquake Networks Center’s rapid reporting catalog shows that within a 200-kilometer radius of the epicenter, there have been a total of 120 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or higher in the past five years. The strongest earthquake was a 6.8 magnitude quake that occurred on January 7, 2025, in Dingri County, Shigatse City, which was 70 kilometers away from this recent earthquake epicenter.
On January 7, 2025, Dingri County experienced a devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake, resulting in 126 fatalities, 188 injuries, and significant building collapses. Since then, aftershocks have been frequent in the region, with over a hundred aftershocks of magnitude 3.0 or higher recorded as of March 26.
Less than a week had passed since the last earthquake. On the 10th of this month, at 13:12 local time, another 3.1 magnitude earthquake occurred in Dingri County, Shigatse City, with a depth of 10 kilometers and an epicenter at 28.67 degrees north latitude and 86.62 degrees east longitude.
Netizens have expressed their concerns online, stating, “The continuous aftershocks in Dingri County are relentless, the aftershocks are overwhelming, it feels like they never stop shaking.” “It’s terrifying.” “It’s either earthquakes or dust storms all day long.” “And there are windstorms of over ten levels. Heartbreaking.”