Magnitude‑7 quake in Tibet kills 16, topples hundreds of homes

A magnitude‑7 earthquake struck Tibet’s Nagqu region on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people. The tremor hit at 10:33 p.m. local time, with its epicentre 191 km east‑northeast of Nagqu city and a depth of 18 km. Officials said at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, leaving many families homeless. Chinese media reported 46 injured – 11 serious and 35 with minor injuries – while the BBC cited 32 injured. More than 1,600 local residents were mobilised for rescue work, and emergency supplies such as 1,000 prefabricated houses, about 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights and winter clothing were flown in. Communication networks in part of the region were down and railway services were halted as a precaution. Rockfalls forced the closure of a stretch of National Highway 317, allowing only emergency and official vehicles through while crews clear debris. Intermittent snow is forecast for the next three days, complicating relief efforts. The quake is the strongest to hit the area in five years, according to CCTV. Baqên County, about 400 km north‑east of Lhasa, bore the brunt of the shaking. The disaster follows massive floods and landslides that struck Tibet and Nepal less than two months earlier, killing at least 1,400 people.

Context

Tibet’s high‑altitude terrain makes it prone to earthquakes and landslides, and the recent floods have already stretched local emergency capacities, so the current quake adds pressure on already stretched resources.