Photo: CCTV

As of 10 pm on Friday, a series of earthquakes in Yinchuan, the capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, which began on Thursday morning and continued into the early hours of Friday, resulted in six minor injuries, with no fatalities or structural collapses, local officials said on Saturday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

They also said that the recent increase in earthquake activities in the region does not indicate the likelihood of a major earthquake, but they do not rule out the possibility of noticeable aftershocks occurring in the original earthquake area and nearby areas in the coming days.

According to officials, the locations of the 4.8 and 4.6 magnitude earthquakes that occurred on Thursday align with the rupture zone of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in 1739, which occurred just less than 300 years ago. The energy accumulated in this area remains insufficient to trigger a major earthquake. According to investigations, this rupture segment does not have the tectonic background necessary for a strong earthquake.

As for the recent spate of small earthquakes, local officials explained that seismic activity in a region often experiences fluctuations between calm and heightened activity. Therefore, since the seismic activity in the first half of 2024 was relatively subdued, there is a noticeable increase in seismic activity in the second half of the year.

According to the authorities, the seasonal pattern of increased earthquake frequency during winter and spring in Ningxia has also contributed to the recent rise in seismic activity.

In addition, the two earthquakes that occurred on Thursday marked the strongest seismic events in Ningxia since 1998. Generally, the energy accumulated from a larger earthquake cannot be released all at once; the residual energy will continue to be released in the form of smaller earthquakes, said officials, noting that due to the earthquakes' occurrence in the Yinchuan Basin, which has relatively thick sedimentary layers, the seismic waves were amplified.

Since the activation of the level-4 earthquake emergency response on Thursday, local authorities promptly initiated their emergency market assurance plan. Currently, the city's supply of essential goods and refined oil remains stable, officials said.

Global Times