GUWAHATI: At least 16 people were killed and 32 others injured after a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Tibet late Thursday, Octobe 22, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported, citing Nagqu City’s emergency management bureau.
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Of the 32 injured, 11 were in serious condition, while 21 sustained minor injuries, according to an update issued by Xinhua at 2:25 AM on Friday.
The earthquake struck at around 10:33 PM on Thursday, with its epicentre in a sparsely populated, high-altitude county in Nagqu, northern Tibet. The quake occurred at a depth of 10 km, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
The affected county is located around 400 km northeast of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Authorities have declared an emergency and deployed rescue teams to the affected area. Power supply has been disrupted, while 339 homes have collapsed, according to local reports.
Rockfalls have forced road closures in the region, complicating rescue operations and access to affected areas at high altitudes.
Strong tremors were also felt in the Tibetan cities of Qamdo and Nyingchi.
Videos released by state-run local media showed residents rushing out of their homes and seeking shelter outdoors or inside cars parked along the streets. One resident said the strong tremor woke them up and that the house could be heard creaking during the earthquake.
The region is prone to major seismic activity. In 2023, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the neighbouring Chinese province of Gansu, killing more than 120 people, according to reports.
Tibet and Nepal were also recently affected by severe floods and landslides triggered by a glacier collapse less than two months ago. The disaster killed at least 1,400 people, while hundreds more were reported missing.
Tibet, which has long sought greater autonomy, remains one of China's most tightly controlled regions.
