Earthquake in northern Tibet leaves 16 dead
A magnitude-7 tremor collapsed over 300 homes near Nagqu, forcing officials to halt rail traffic and send winter supplies as snow begins to fall.
By Aiko Petrov ·
A strong earthquake struck northern Tibet on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people and injuring 54. The tremor leveled 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds in the region surrounding Nagqu. Chinese official media reported the death toll and damage figures as rescue crews continued their search operations.
The United States Geological Survey logged the quake at 10:33 p.m. local time. The epicenter was located 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of 11 miles. The agency recorded seven aftershocks between Thursday night and Friday morning, with magnitudes ranging from 4.3 to 5.2. Each of these secondary shocks occurred at a depth of 6 miles.
State broadcaster CCTV called the event the largest earthquake in the area in five years. Video footage released by the network showed people fleeing restaurants and goods falling from supermarket shelves. Rescuers were seen climbing through structures with collapsed roofs. More than 1,600 local county personnel joined the relief effort. Xinhua reported that over 300 police officers and nearly 350 fire and rescue workers were deployed to the site.
Logistical challenges emerged immediately after the quake. Communications were down in parts of the affected zone. Local railway authorities stopped trains passing through the region as a precaution. Rockslides closed a section of National Highway 317 to general traffic, allowing only emergency and support vehicles to pass while crews cleared the road. Forecasters predicted intermittent snow for the next three days, adding to the difficulty of the operation in the high-altitude terrain.
Officials dispatched supplies to the area, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, 3,000 tents, folding beds, torches, and winter clothing. President Xi Jinping called for an all-out effort in rescue and medical relief. Nagqu sits more than 185 miles north of Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.
Earthquakes are common in the region. In January 2025, a quake in rural Tingri county killed at least 126 people. In December 2023, a tremor in Gansu province killed at least 134 people, which state media identified as China's deadliest quake since 2014. In August, a major flood hit the Tibet-Nepal border, though international media access was limited during that event.
