A magnitude-7 earthquake struck the Nagqu region of Tibet, killing at least 16 people and destroying 339 homes, The Guardian reported. The USGS recorded the quake at 10.33pm local time at a depth of 11 miles.
The affected area sits at an altitude of around 4,800m. At least 54 people were injured according to one report, while another put the figure at 65 injured, including 11 with severe injuries.
A total of 20 livestock sheds also collapsed. More than 12,400 people were relocated following the earthquake.
At least seven aftershocks were recorded, with magnitudes ranging between 4.3 and 5.2, all at a depth of 6 miles per the USGS. The epicentre sat 119 miles from Nagqu in an east-north-easterly direction. Rockfall caused the closure of a section of national highway 317, with access restricted to emergency, rescue and official support vehicles.
The electricity supply was cut off in affected areas, though power was restored in some areas by the next morning. Communication was down in some affected areas, and local railway authorities halted train movements through the region.
Over 300 police officers and close to 350 regional fire and rescue personnel were sent to the affected areas. Rescue efforts drew on more than 1,600 county-level personnel who were deployed to assist. The Chinese government allocated 50 million yuan (£5.6m; $7.5m) for disaster relief in Tibet.
A working group was sent to the affected area by the Ministry of Emergency Management. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for maximum effort in rescue operations and medical relief work. CCTV, China's national broadcaster, described the event as the largest quake in the region over the preceding five years.
Snow falling intermittently was forecast for the region across a three-day window following the quake. Tibet is seismically active; a January 2025 earthquake in Tingri county resulted in at least 126 deaths. A 2023 earthquake centred in Gansu province caused at least 134 deaths, which state media characterised as making it the deadliest quake in China since 2014.
Reporting: The Guardian, BBC
Written by Pick & Scroll News from the reporting and documents linked above.
