Tibet quake kills 16, injures 46, state media says
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Tibet killed at least 16 people and injured 46, with more than 300 houses collapsed, Chinese state media reported, citing local authorities. Rescue operations are underway with hundreds of personnel deployed.
A strong earthquake killed at least 16 people and injured 46 in China's remote Tibet region, state media said, citing local authorities. More than 300 houses collapsed in the 7.0 magnitude quake, which struck on Thursday at 10:33 pm (1433 GMT).
Officials were still evaluating the damage, and disaster relief work was ongoing, state news agency Xinhua said. China Central Television (CCTV) put the number of injured at 46, 11 of them seriously, with 339 houses collapsed or damaged, citing local officials.
The epicentre was located in a mountainous area about 190 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu, and 390 kilometres northeast of the regional capital Lhasa, the US Geological Survey said. It struck at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometres. The epicentre was in Maru township in Baqen county. Township deputy head Lhawang Dagpo said the quake was clearly felt at the township office, which sustained cracks in the walls, according to Xinhua.
A level-III earthquake disaster emergency response was activated in the area, CCTV reported. Power and telecoms services were disrupted in the county seat, the agency said. More than 300 police officers have been dispatched for relief work while the regional fire and rescue corps has mobilised 347 personnel to the affected areas, Xinhua reported.
Videos posted by CCTV showed workers running out of restaurants and objects falling off shelves at supermarkets when the quake struck. Rescue workers clambered through damaged buildings, some with collapsed roofs, and carrying one person, footage on CCTV showed. It also showed rescue workers shining flashlights on other damaged buildings and soldiers lining up ready to be deployed.
Earthquakes in China are relatively common. In January 2025, at least 126 people were killed in an earthquake in Tibet's rural Tingri county. In December 2023, a quake in remote Gansu province in northwest China killed at least 127 people, according to state media.