339 Homes Collapsed After 7.0 Quake Hits Northern Tibet
Rescue crews are clearing rubble in Nagqu as winter weather approaches and local authorities deploy over 1,600 workers to the site.
By Yasmin Kovalenko ·
Residents in and around Nagqu lost at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the region on Thursday night. The tremor killed 16 people and injured 54, according to Chinese official media reports released on Friday.
The US Geological Survey recorded the main shock at 10:33 p.m. local time. The epicenter lay 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu, at a depth of 11 miles. The agency logged seven aftershocks between magnitude 4.3 and 5.2, each occurring at a depth of 6 miles. CCTV described the event as the strongest quake in the area in five years.
Local authorities immediately dispatched more than 1,600 personnel from the county to assist with search and rescue operations. Xinhua News Agency reported that over 300 police officers joined the effort. Regional fire and rescue services sent nearly 350 additional staff members to the site.
Supplies arrived at the affected zones to support the ongoing response. The delivery included 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, torches, and winter clothing. These items aim to shelter residents as the region faces intermittent snow forecasts for the next three days.
Infrastructure damage disrupted travel and communication. Local railway authorities halted train traffic through the region. Rockfalls blocked a section of national highway 317, restricting access to emergency and official vehicles while crews cleared debris. Communications remained down in some affected areas as of Friday.
President Xi Jinping called for an all-out effort in rescue and medical relief. The quake occurred in a sparsely populated, high-altitude part of northern Tibet. Nagqu sits more than 185 miles north of Lhasa. Previous major earthquakes in the country include a 2025 event in Tingri county that killed at least 126 people and a 2023 quake in Gansu province that killed at least 134.
Search and rescue work continued on Friday. Footage from CCTV showed rescuers navigating collapsed roofs and damaged buildings. Workers were seen evacuating restaurants and supermarkets as goods fell from shelves during the initial shaking.
Source: The Guardian
