Powerful Earthquake Strikes Tibet, Killing at Least 16 and Destroying Homes

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China’s Tibet region on Thursday evening, resulting in at least 16 fatalities, 54 injuries, and the collapse of hundreds of homes in the northern city of Nagqu. Search and rescue operations are underway following the destruction of at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds.

Over 1,600 individuals from the affected county have been mobilized to assist in rescue efforts. Authorities have dispatched supplies including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing to the region.

The earthquake, which occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time, had its epicenter 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu in a high-altitude, sparsely populated area of northern Tibet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake’s depth was recorded at 11 miles. The agency also registered at least seven aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.3 to 5.2, all at a depth of 6 miles.

Communication infrastructure in some areas was disrupted by the quake. Local railway authorities have halted trains passing through the region as a precautionary measure. Rockfalls have also led to the closure of a section of National Highway 317, with access restricted to emergency and rescue vehicles while crews work to clear debris.

Intermittent snowfall is anticipated in the earthquake-affected region over the next three days. This seismic event is reported to be the most significant in the region in the last five years. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for all-out efforts in rescue and medical relief operations. Nagqu is located more than 186 miles north of Tibet’s capital, Lhasa.