An electricity worker checks a power switch for a villager in Hongshiyan Village of Qiaojia County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
KUNMING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A 5.1-magnitude earthquake jolted Qiaojia County in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Monday evening, prompting local authorities to evacuate dozens of residents, though no casualties or building collapses were reported.
The earthquake struck at 7:32 p.m., with a depth of 10 kilometers. As of 2 a.m. Tuesday, 86 people from 31 households had been relocated to temporary shelters, local officials said.
Cao Shanyou, deputy head of Qiaojia County, said authorities activated an emergency response immediately after the quake and dispatched rescue teams to the affected areas, along with local officials to conduct inspections across 192 villages and communities.
Power supply, telecommunications, reservoirs and water services were operating normally, Cao said, adding that damage assessments were ongoing.
The China Earthquake Administration has activated a Level-III emergency response to the earthquake in Yunnan and dispatched working teams to the affected area to support local relief efforts.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response. ■
Rescue workers are seen patrolling in Hongshiyan Village after an earthquake in Qiaojia County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
Villagers are seen at a temporary relocation site in Hongshiyan Village of Qiaojia County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
An aerial drone photo shows an excavator clearing a section of a road after an earthquake in Qiaojia County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
Workers clear a section of a road after an earthquake in Qiaojia County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 20, 2026. (Photo by Yan Keren/Xinhua)
Villagers have lunch at a temporary relocation site in Hongshiyan Village of Qiaojia County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
Villager Qian Zhenzhen (R) helps to cook at a temporary relocation site in Hongshiyan Village of Qiaojia County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
Workers clear a section of a road after an earthquake in Qiaojia County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 20, 2026. (Photo by Yan Keren/Xinhua)
Police officers direct traffic in Laodian Town of Qiaojia County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 20, 2026. (Photo by Yan Keren/Xinhua)
