Magnitude 5.0 quake shakes southwestern China, halts trains

Railway authorities have stopped passenger train services, leading to delays in the China-Laos Railway

A man holds a Chinese national flag to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the former British colony's handover to Chinese rule, in Hong Kong, China, Jul 1, 2026. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 struck the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan at a depth of 6 km (3.7 miles) at 7:43 p.m. (11:43 GMT) on Tuesday, the ⁠China Earthquake Networks Centre said.

Officials have not yet received reports of casualties or property damage, and the local power grid was operating normally, state-run Xinhua news agency said, citing preliminary verifications by local authorities.

The quake's epicentre was in a village of around 1,300 residents in the mountainous Mojiang county, part of the city of Pu'er in the southwestern border province. The village is around 100 km (62 miles) from China's borders with Laos and Vietnam.

Railway authorities halted some passenger train services in the area following the quake, leading to delays in the international China-Laos Railway, state media said. Inspections of train tracks and equipment are being carried out.

Local residents in Mojiang county said they felt a significant tremor, Xinhua reported.