At Least 16 Dead, Dozens Injured After Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Strikes Tibet

A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China’s Tibet Autonomous Region late Thursday night, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens more as authorities rushed rescue teams to the remote, high-altitude region.

The quake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time (1433 GMT) on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was located in a sparsely populated mountainous area approximately 190 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu and about 390 kilometers northeast of Lhasa, the regional capital. The quake occurred at a shallow depth of roughly 10 kilometers.

China’s state news agency Xinhua reported the death toll of 16, citing the Nagqu City emergency management bureau. Injury figures varied slightly across official updates: Xinhua initially reported 32 injured, with 11 in serious condition and 21 with minor injuries, while China Central Television (CCTV) later cited 46 injured, including 11 seriously hurt.

More than 300 homes collapsed in the temblor, with CCTV reporting at least 339 houses and 20 livestock sheds damaged or destroyed . The quake also triggered rockfalls that forced authorities to close a section of National Highway 317 to all but emergency and rescue vehicles.

The epicenter was located in Maru township in Baqen county, according to Xinhua. Township deputy head Lhawang Dagpo said the quake was clearly felt at the township office, which sustained cracks in its walls. Power and telecommunications services were disrupted in the county seat.

More than 300 police officers and 347 personnel from the regional fire and rescue corps were dispatched to the affected areas, Xinhua reported. Footage broadcast by CCTV showed rescue workers clambering through damaged buildings, some with collapsed roofs, and carrying injured people to safety. Additional supplies including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing were being sent to the region.

Authorities activated a Level III earthquake disaster emergency response following the quake, CCTV reported. Local railway authorities halted trains passing through the affected region as a precaution.

Intermittent snow was forecast in the earthquake zone over the following three days, according to Xinhua, potentially complicating relief efforts in the already difficult mountainous terrain.

The U.S. Geological Survey had issued a yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and an orange alert for economic losses, indicating that significant damage was likely and that a regional or national level response would be required. The agency noted that the population in the region typically resides in structures vulnerable to earthquake shaking.

The quake was the strongest to hit China since January 2024, according to Reuters . In 2010, a magnitude 7.1 tremor struck Yushu in neighboring Qinghai province, killing at least 2,698 people.

The epicenter area sits at an average elevation of approximately 4,864 meters, according to data from the China Earthquake Networks Center, adding to the logistical challenges for rescue crews operating in the region.