Magnitude-4.8 earthquake near Laos–Vietnam border shakes Hanoi

The quake occurred at around 11:26 pm at a depth of about 10 kilometers, with its epicenter roughly five kilometers from Na Meo Commune in Thanh Hoa, according to the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Center under the Institute of Earth Sciences.

The earthquake prompted a level-1 natural disaster risk warning, the center said on Thursday morning, adding that it continues to monitor the situation.

Residents in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An in the north-central region, as well as those in northern localities such as Hanoi, Phu Tho, and Ninh Binh, reported feeling the ground and furniture shake for several seconds.

Minh Ngoc, who lives in Hanoi’s Nam Tu Liem Ward, said she felt the tremor while lying in bed.

“The glass doors rattled for a few seconds,” she recalled.

Tuan Anh, a resident of Ha Dong Ward in Hanoi, said he was working on his computer when the screen shook slightly twice.

“I felt a brief sense of mild dizziness and pressure in my ears for a few seconds,” he added.

In Thanh Hoa, Mai Le from Ba Thuoc Commune said she had just gotten in bed when she felt a strong tremor.

“I was startled and jumped to my feet, my body swaying for a few seconds,” she recalled.

Meanwhile, Yen Nhi from Viet Tri Ward in Phu Tho Province, shared, “I was sitting at my desk when I felt two tremors. At first, I thought a passing tanker truck was shaking the table. Only later did I realize it was an earthquake.”

No damage or casualties have been reported so far.

In Vietnam, tremors measuring between magnitude-3.0 and -3.9 are considered minor, sometimes noticeable to residents but rarely causing any damage.

Those between 4.0 and 4.9 are regarded as light quakes, often strong enough to make furniture and household items rattle and produce brief noise.

Earthquakes in the 5.0–5.9 range are deemed moderate and can cause limited structural damage, whereas quakes around magnitude-6 are considered strong and capable of inflicting more severe destruction.

Historically, Vietnam has experienced three significant earthquakes, all centered in the northern province of Dien Bien—in 1935, 1983, and 2001—with magnitudes of 6.9, 6.7, and 5.3, respectively, according to official records.