On January 2nd at 16:43, the China Earthquake Networks Center officially measured that a 4.6-magnitude earthquake occurred in Jinfeng District of Yinchuan City, Ningxia (latitude 38.41 degrees, longitude 106.26 degrees). The Yinchuan Seismological Bureau stated that Yinchuan has entered a seismic window period, indicating an active seismic period. This news made it to the top of the hot search on Baidu on January 3rd.
The earthquake that struck Jinfeng District at 16:43 on the 2nd had a depth of 10 kilometers and the nearest high-speed rail line was 600 meters away from the epicenter. According to a report from Hong Kong’s Ming Pao on January 3rd, there were six incidents reported locally, including people trapped in elevators, exterior wall decorations falling off buildings, and balcony collapses, but no casualties were reported.
Earlier on the same day at 10:01 am, Yinchuan City, Ningxia, also experienced a 4.8-magnitude earthquake in Yongning County. Maps show that the two locations are approximately 30 kilometers apart, with both earthquakes having a depth of 10 kilometers.
Just nine days prior, Yinchuan City had experienced two consecutive earthquakes. According to the Ningxia Earthquake Networks, on December 24th, 2024 at 20:56, a 3.0-magnitude earthquake occurred in Yongning County, Yinchuan City (latitude 38.40 degrees, longitude 106.23 degrees) at a depth of 14 kilometers. At 22:43 on the same day, a 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck Jinfeng District (latitude 38.42 degrees, longitude 106.24 degrees) in Yinchuan City, with an epicenter depth of 12 kilometers. The epicenters of the two earthquakes were about 2.4 kilometers apart.
Following the earthquakes, many residents stated that they did not receive any early warning alerts.
Regarding the recent spate of earthquakes in Yinchuan, staff at the Yinchuan Seismic Monitoring and Forecasting Center explained to Jiupai News on January 2nd that Yinchuan City experiences more seismic activity during the winter, especially minor tremors.
Another staff member from the Seismological Bureau also explained that seismic activity is cyclical, with periods of heightened activity followed by calm periods. Yinchuan is currently in a seismic window period, indicating an active phase, which could lead to more frequent earthquakes. She stated, “Jinfeng District and Yongning County are both on seismic fault lines, so the epicenters of recent earthquakes have been in these areas, which could have a greater impact and higher potential for disasters.”
According to Ming Pao, Zeng Xianwei, the director of the Ningxia Seismological Bureau, mentioned that the Ningxia Seismological Bureau and the China Earthquake Networks Center urgently convened a meeting, suggesting that there is a possibility of 4 to 5 magnitude earthquakes occurring in the Yongning County seismic area and its vicinity in the coming days.
Based on information from the China Earthquake Networks, in the past five years within 200 kilometers around the epicenter of Yongning County, there have been a total of 21 earthquakes exceeding magnitude 3, with the largest being a 4.9-magnitude earthquake that occurred in the Pichuan District of Baiyin City, Gansu on December 31, 2023 (214 kilometers away from the present epicenter).
A netizen named “Hope to Travel” reminded everyone: “A 4.5 magnitude earthquake already has destructive power. Stay safe, everyone! It can be considered a stroke of luck.”