Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Kills at Least 16 in China’s Tibet Region, Collapsing Hundreds of Homes
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China’s Tibet region late Thursday, killing at least 16 people, injuring dozens, and collapsing more than 330 homes, according to state news agency Xinhua.
At least 16 people died and dozens were injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China’s Tibet region late Thursday, state news agency Xinhua reported. More than 330 houses collapsed in the tremor.
The quake hit at 10:33 p.m. local time, with its epicenter about 183 kilometers east-northeast of the city of Nagqu, according to the United States Geological Survey. The China Earthquake Networks Center said the average elevation within five kilometers of the epicenter exceeds 4,800 meters.
Emergency response underway
A rescue team has been sent to the epicenter, and the China Earthquake Administration has activated a level II emergency response, its second-highest tier, according to Chinese broadcaster CGTN. Railway authorities suspended train services through the affected areas, state media CCTV reported.
The region’s high altitude and remote terrain can slow rescue work and the delivery of supplies. Videos carried by local media showed people leaving their homes as the quake struck, Reuters reported, citing a state broadcaster.
Deadliest recent quakes in China
The Tibet quake is one of the strongest to hit China in recent years. In January 2024, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck a remote mountainous part of Xinjiang in the far west, killing three people. In December 2023, more than 100 people died when an earthquake struck Jishishan county in Gansu province in the northwest, the country’s deadliest in nearly a decade.
Reporting based on coverage by CNN, Xinhua, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
