Magnitude 7 earthquake strikes Tibet, killing at least 16 and injuring 46

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Tibet's Nagqu region on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people and injuring 46. The tremor occurred at 22:33 local time with a depth of 10 kilometers, according to Chinese authorities.

The epicenter was located in Maru county, Baqen district, within Nagqu's jurisdiction. The US Geological Survey placed it 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu city and about 400 kilometers from Lhasa, at a depth of 18 kilometers.

“The earthquake was the strongest recorded in China since January 2024.”

The quake was followed by a magnitude 5.2 aftershock, then a second magnitude 5 aftershock and several smaller tremors between magnitudes 3 and 4. The average elevation within a five-kilometer radius of the epicenter is around 4,864 meters.

Damage affected 339 homes, which were either destroyed or damaged, and 20 animal shelters were also harmed. Of the injured, 11 were in critical condition and 35 had minor injuries as of 05:20 on Friday.

China activated a level II national emergency response for seismic disasters. Rescue teams reached the area and began delivering aid supplies while continuing search and rescue operations in collapsed and damaged buildings.

The earthquake was the strongest recorded in China since January 2024. It also recalled the 2010 magnitude 7.1 quake in Yushu, Qinghai province, which killed at least 2,698 people and left about 300 missing.