(Singapore, 05.06.2025) A 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province at 4:31am this early morning, shaking residents from their sleep and prompting a swift emergency response. Despite the tremors causing damage to homes and infrastructure, no casualties have been reported as of 11am in the late morning, according to local authorities.
The quake, monitored at a depth of 10 kilometers with its epicenter located at 26.26°N latitude and 100.03°E longitude, was felt across Eryuan, Dali City, and neighboring Heqing County. Residents took to social media describing being jolted awake. “The bed shook violently during the night, but it lasted only about 10 seconds,” said a user identified as Francesca on social media platform Xiaohongshu.
Amongst the complaints, Lijiang, Eryuan and Heqing county have said to be the most affected by the quake, few in Gucheng district, Lijiang, described there to be strong tremors resulted by the earthquake. “The house shook violently and woke me up at night, I can’t go back to bed now.” One commented on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform.
According to the local earthquake rescue and relief headquarters, over 5,900 people were affected by the quake. Among them, 3,936 residents were evacuated from impacted areas as a precautionary measure. Initial reports confirmed damage to at least 179 houses. Roads in the Sanying and Niujie townships experienced partial collapses but were cleared and reopened shortly after.
Authorities responded quickly. The Yunnan Earthquake Agency initiated a Level III emergency response, deploying a 20-person team in phases to assess damage and monitor ongoing seismic activity. The local fire and rescue department mobilized a coordinated effort, sending 34 vehicles, 169 personnel, and three rescue dogs to the scene.
Xinhua News Agency and other Chinese media outlets reported that both the Dali detachment and Eryuan brigade of the Yunnan fire and rescue corps were among the first to arrive at the epicenter. Their mission included verifying damages, conducting safety assessments, and supporting evacuation and rescue operations.
Emergency teams are continuing to monitor the situation as aftershocks remain a possibility. For now, the focus remains on supporting displaced residents and conducting thorough evaluations of structural safety in the affected areas.
Yunnan Province, located in Southwest China, is one of the country’s most seismically active regions. Situated at the convergence of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, the area experiences frequent seismic activity due to the complex network of fault lines, including the Red River Fault and the Xiaojiang Fault.
On 2014, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit Ludian County, leading to 617 deaths and over 3,000 injuries. The quake caused the collapse of more than 12,000 houses and damaged approximately 30,000 others. It was the most severe earthquake in Yunnan in 14 years.
In response to its high seismic risk, Yunnan has developed an extensive earthquake monitoring and emergency management network. The Yunnan Earthquake Agency collaborates with local governments and the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) to issue real-time alerts, conduct public education, and deploy rapid assessment teams after quakes.
Emergency responses are graded from Level I (most severe) to Level IV. A Level III response—like the one issued after the 5.0-magnitude quake in Eryuan today—is typically triggered for moderate events that still pose significant disruption to daily life and infrastructure.
Despite frequent tremors, improved early warning systems, better construction standards, and quick mobilization of rescue teams have contributed to reduced casualties in recent years, which the results have been desired from obtaining zero casualties today.
Intern Journalist
Jie Ying Tan
