339 Homes Collapsed in Nagqu After 7.0 Earthquake

A magnitude-7 earthquake struck northern Tibet on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people.

The US Geological Survey recorded the tremor at 10:33 pm local time. The epicenter lay 119 miles east-northeast of the regional city of Nagqu, at a depth of 11 miles. The agency logged seven aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.3 to 5.2. Chinese official media reported that 54 people were injured in the initial shock.

The Nagqu media office stated that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. Search and rescue operations continued as of Friday. CCTV described the event as the most powerful seismic activity in the region in five years. Footage from the broadcaster showed goods falling from supermarket shelves and workers exiting restaurants as the ground shook.

Local authorities deployed more than 1,600 workers from the county to assist with recovery. Xinhua News Agency reported that over 300 police officers joined the relief effort. Regional fire and rescue services sent nearly 350 personnel to the site. Supplies dispatched to the area included 1,000 prefabricated housing units, 3,000 tents, folding beds, torches, and winter clothing.

Infrastructure damage disrupted movement in the region. Local railway authorities halted train traffic passing through the area. Rockfalls forced the closure of a section of National Highway 317, restricting access to emergency and official vehicles while crews cleared debris. Xinhua reported that communications remained down in some affected zones on Friday. Intermittent snow is forecast for the next three days.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an all-out effort in rescue and medical relief. Nagqu is located more than 185 miles north of Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. The region has experienced other major quakes recently. At least 126 people died in a January 2025 quake in Tingri county. A December 2023 earthquake in Gansu province killed at least 134 people, making it China's deadliest seismic event since 2014.