6.3-magnitude quake hits northwest China

Haixi prefecture in northwestern China's Qinghai province was struck by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday afternoon, with the China Earthquake Networks Center recording the event at 5:06 pm local time, according to Xinhua News Agency. The tremor was centered in a remote area of the Tibetan Plateau, though initial assessments suggested limited population exposure in the immediate vicinity.

The US Geological Survey located the epicenter at a depth of 10 kilometers near Dunhuang in neighboring Gansu province, a city situated on the edge of the Gobi Desert that shares a lengthy border with Qinghai. Chinese authorities, citing local seismic stations, reported the quake originated within Haixi prefecture — highlighting the proximity of the two provincial boundaries in a region prone to frequent seismic activity, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

No damage reported

Xinhua News Agency reported no immediate casualties or structural damage had been confirmed as of Tuesday evening, citing official monitoring channels. Assessment teams were dispatched to survey remote townships in both provinces, though communication delays were expected given the rugged high-altitude terrain, sources told the outlet.

The China Earthquake Networks Center continues to analyze aftershock sequences while coordinating with provincial emergency management offices in Qinghai and Gansu, according to state media. Seismic monitoring stations across northwestern China registered the tremor at 0906 GMT, with international telemetry confirming the shallow depth and magnitude.