A magnitude 6.0 earthquake rocked Luxian county, Sichuan province, at 4:33 am on Thursday 16 September 2021 according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The epicenter was monitored at 29.2 degrees north latitude and 105.34 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km.

Chinese authorities launched rescue efforts in the morning, with the provincial government activating a level 2 response, the second highest in China's four-tier earthquake emergency response system.