Tibet quake kills 16, injures 46 overnight
HKFP · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Tibet at 10:33 pm on Thursday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 46, according to Chinese state media citing local authorities. The quake hit a remote mountainous area in Nagqu, with the epicentre in Maru township of Baqen county, and officials said hundreds of homes collapsed or were damaged as rescue work continued
Key Points
- State media said 16 people were killed and 46 injured, including 11 seriously hurt, after the late-night quake in Tibet.
- Xinhua and CCTV reported 339 houses collapsed or were damaged, while more than 300 homes were said to have fallen in the quake
- The US Geological Survey located the epicentre about 190 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu and 390 kilometres northeast of Lhasa, at a depth of around 10 kilometres.
- Authorities activated a level-III earthquake disaster emergency response, while more than 300 police officers and 347 fire and rescue personnel were sent to affected areas
- Power and telecommunications were disrupted in the Baqen county seat, and footage showed workers fleeing buildings as shelves and objects shook loose
Why It Matters
The casualty toll and infrastructure damage may still rise because officials were continuing to assess losses in a remote high-altitude area where power and telecoms were disrupted. The quake also adds to a recent run of deadly earthquakes in western China, including the January 2025 Tibet disaster that killed at least 126 people.