16 killed, several injured after powerful earthquake jolts Chinas Tibet, hundreds of houses damaged
Following the disaster, the regional disaster prevention and relief committee activated a Level III emergency response on Friday.
PTC News Desk: At least 16 people were killed and 65 others injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City, in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, according to the city’s earthquake relief headquarters.
The earthquake struck at around 10:33 pm on Thursday. Following the disaster, the regional disaster prevention and relief committee activated a Level III emergency response on Friday.
Of the 65 injured people, 11 were reported to be in serious condition, while the others suffered minor injuries. More than 330 houses were either damaged or completely destroyed. Authorities are still assessing the full extent of the damage, and rescue and relief operations are underway, state-run Xinhua news agency reported from Lhasa on Friday.
Relief supplies began reaching the affected areas early Friday. These include 1,000 sets of prefabricated houses, more than 3,200 tents, over 2,800 folding beds and essential items such as quilts, stoves and clothing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered authorities to carry out extensive search and rescue operations for missing people and ensure that those injured receive medical treatment as quickly as possible. He also called for all possible efforts to minimise casualties.
The Tibetan Plateau is highly vulnerable to powerful earthquakes because it lies near the meeting point of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which frequently collide with tremendous force.
In January 2025, at least 126 people were killed when an earthquake struck Tingri County in rural Tibet.
The latest earthquake comes weeks after devastating flash floods killed more than 1,400 people in the Nepal-Tibet border region in August. The floods originated near the border and swept away homes and buildings across northern and central Nepal.
Meanwhile, another earthquake measuring 5.2 in magnitude struck China at 8:29 pm IST, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The quake occurred at a depth of 15 km, around 505 km north-northwest of Pangin in Arunachal Pradesh.