Powerful Earthquake Strikes Northern Tibet, Leaving 16 Dead and Dozens Injured

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck China's autonomous region of Tibet, leaving at least 16 people dead and dozens injured. According to Chinese state media citing the disaster relief office in the city of Nagqu, the initial tremor hit in the Baqing county area in the late hours of Thursday at a depth of about 10 kilometers.

The United States Geological Survey and the China Earthquake Administration recorded the epicenter roughly 180 kilometers northeast of Nagqu, with the regional capital of Lhasa located approximately 400 kilometers to the southwest. Officials noted that the affected zone in the Himalayas is sparsely populated, with the epicenter sitting at an average elevation of about 4,800 meters.

The disaster caused widespread structural damage, with reports indicating that hundreds of houses and agricultural barns collapsed or sustained severe cracks. Surveillance footage shared on Chinese social media showed shaking shelves in grocery stores and swinging ceiling lamps, while state television broadcasted videos of residents rushing out of restaurants in panic as the ground began to heave.

Authorities responded by activating a level II emergency response, the second-highest tier in the country's disaster management system. The government dispatched hundreds of firefighters and specialized vehicles to lead search and rescue operations, clear debris, and provide medical attention to the injured.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged officials to push forward search and rescue efforts with utmost urgency, provide proper medical care for the wounded, and minimize casualties, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Railway authorities also suspended train services running through the impacted corridors as aftershocks continued to rattle the region.

This seismic event marks the strongest earthquake to hit China so far this year. The region is historically prone to significant seismic activity due to the ongoing collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which formed the Himalayan mountain range. In January 2025, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Tibet's Tingri county resulted in at least 126 fatalities.