16 killed, 46 injured as 7.0-magnitude earthquake hits Tibet, rescue operations underway
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude has killed at least 16 people and injured 46 others in China’s remote Tibet region, according to state media citing local authorities. The quake caused extensive damage, with 339 houses reported to have collapsed or been damaged. Eleven of the injured are in a serious condition, while rescue and relief operations are continuing.
The tremors struck on Thursday night, sending people rushing out of restaurants and shops as buildings shook and objects fell from supermarket shelves. Officials are still assessing the damage, while rescue teams search damaged buildings and work to assist people affected by the earthquake.
Where did the earthquake strike?
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre was in a mountainous area around 190 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu and 390 kilometres northeast of Lhasa, the regional capital. The earthquake struck at 10.33 pm on Thursday, at a depth of around 10 kilometres.
The epicentre was located in Maru township in Baqen county. Township deputy head Lhawang Dagpo told Xinhua that the tremors were clearly felt at the township office, where cracks appeared in the walls.
Power and telecommunications services were disrupted in the county seat following the earthquake. A level-III earthquake disaster emergency response was activated in the affected area, CCTV reported.
Hundreds of homes damaged as rescue operations continue
According to local officials cited by CCTV, 339 houses had collapsed or sustained damage. Officials are continuing to assess the destruction, while search and rescue operations remain under way.
More than 300 police officers have been sent to assist with relief efforts, while the regional fire and rescue corps has mobilised 347 personnel to affected areas, Xinhua reported.
Footage broadcast by CCTV showed rescue workers moving through damaged buildings, some with collapsed roofs. In one scene, workers were seen carrying an injured person, while other footage showed rescuers using torches to inspect damaged structures and soldiers lining up to prepare for deployment.
Videos released by CCTV also captured people rushing out of restaurants and items falling from supermarket shelves as the earthquake struck. Tents are being set up to provide temporary shelter for people displaced by the disaster.
Tibet hit by strongest earthquake in five years
The earthquake is reported to be the strongest to hit the Tibet region in five years. It comes just weeks after severe flooding and landslides struck areas near the border between Nepal and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. Those disasters reportedly killed more than 1,400 people, with thousands more reported missing.
A history of deadly earthquakes in China
Earthquakes are relatively common in China, and the country has experienced several devastating events over the years.
In January 2025, at least 126 people were killed in an earthquake in Tingri county in rural Tibet. In December 2023, a powerful tremor in the remote north-western province of Gansu killed at least 127 people, according to state media. That was China’s deadliest earthquake since 2014, when more than 600 people died in Yunnan province in the south-west.
One of the country’s worst disasters occurred in 2008, when a massive earthquake struck Sichuan province, leaving around 90,000 people dead or missing, including approximately 5,000 schoolchildren.
Rescue and relief operations are continuing in Tibet as authorities assess the damage and work to assist affected residents.
(With inputs from AFP)
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