Magnitude-4 earthquake shakes Son La in northern Vietnam

The quake occurred at 7:52 pm at a focal depth of around 10.2 kilometers, Nguyen Xuan Anh, director of the institute, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper later the same day.

Anh said preliminary assessments indicated that it posed no natural disaster risk, classifying it at level 0.

He added that the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Center under the institute is continuing to monitor seismic activity in the area.

Footage circulating on Facebook showed two to three seconds of noticeable shaking accompanied by loud noises, alarming local residents.

Many people rushed out of their homes in panic.

“The earthquake sounded like a bomb explosion. I was looking at my phone when I was startled and immediately ran outside,” said Long, a local resident, adding that some houses developed cracks in their walls after the tremor.

Another resident, Vu, described hearing a loud rumbling sound moving from the hills toward the river, followed by cracking noises.

“The strong shaking likely affected door frames,” she said.

On July 27, 2020, a stronger magnitude-5.3 earthquake struck the former Moc Chau District in Son La Province, causing significant damage to houses and infrastructure in several communes at the time.

The former district was upgraded to town status in February 2025 and later reorganized into several new communes and wards under Son La as part of a nationwide administrative restructuring that took effect on July 1, 2025.

In Vietnam, earthquakes measuring 3.0–3.9 in magnitude are generally considered minor, typically felt by some people but rarely causing damage.

Quakes in the 4.0–4.9 range are classified as small, often shaking indoor objects and producing noticeable noise, while many people can feel the tremors both indoors and outdoors.

Earthquakes measuring 5.0–5.9 are considered moderate and may cause minor to moderate damage, while those of magnitude-6.0 or higher are classified as strong.

Vietnam has recorded three major earthquakes in its history, all in northern Dien Bien Province in 1935, 1983 and 2001, with magnitudes of 6.9, 6.7, and 5.3, respectively, according to official statistics.