A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7 struck the Tibet region of China on Thursday evening, resulting in the loss of 16 lives, injuries to 46 individuals, and the destruction of hundreds of homes in the city of Nagqu. According to official reports, search and rescue operations are ongoing after 339 homes and 20 livestock shelters collapsed in Nagqu. Among the injured, 11 people are in critical condition while 35 others have minor injuries, as reported by the Nagqu media office.
Over 1,600 local residents have been mobilized to assist in the rescue efforts. The region has received essential supplies, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing. Communication disruptions have been experienced in parts of the affected area, leading local railway authorities to suspend train services passing through the region as a precautionary measure.
Rockfalls triggered by the earthquake have necessitated the closure of a segment of National Highway 317, permitting only emergency, rescue, and official vehicles to pass through for debris clearance. Xinhua reported that intermittent snowfall is forecasted in the earthquake-affected zone for the next three days. This seismic event is noted as the most significant earthquake in the region in the past five years, according to China’s national broadcaster CCTV.
The U.S. Geological Survey indicated that the earthquake occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area of northern Tibet. The earthquake’s depth was estimated at 18 kilometers. Nagqu is situated over 300 kilometers north of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.