The key facts
- A magnitude 7 earthquake occurred at 22:33 local time near Nagqu; at least 16 people were killed.
- According to the Nagqu media office, 339 houses and 20 livestock pens collapsed; media outlets give differing estimates of the number of injured (32 — Xinhua/Zamon.uz, 54 — Euronews).
- More than 1,600 rescuers have been deployed; tents, prefabricated houses and warm clothing have been delivered; snowfalls are expected, complicating the work.
Earthquake and casualties
A magnitude 7 earthquake occurred on Thursday at 22:33 local time in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, near the northern city of Nagqu. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter was located 191 km east-northeast of Nagqu in a sparsely populated highland area. State broadcaster CCTV called it the most powerful earthquake in the region in five years. At least 16 people were killed. Media outlets give differing figures for the number of injured: the Xinhua agency reported 32 injured, 11 of them in serious condition, while Euronews, citing official media, reported 54 injured.
Destruction
According to the Nagqu press office, at least 339 houses and 20 livestock pens collapsed. Xinhua specified that the homes of 339 families were destroyed; the extent of the damage is still being assessed. Communications have been cut off in some affected areas, the state agency reported.
Rescue operations
PRC Chairman Xi Jinping called for all efforts to be directed toward rescue and medical operations. More than 1,600 people have been involved in search and rescue operations; 1,000 prefabricated housing modules, 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights and winter clothing have been delivered to the area. China's Ministry of Emergency Management activated level four of its response system and sent a special team to the affected area.
Aftershocks and transport
The USGS recorded at least seven aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.3 to 5.2 at a depth of 10 km; the service estimated the depth of the main quake at 18 km, while the Chinese ministry reported a focal depth of 10 km. Landslides forced the closure of a section of National Highway 317 to all except emergency, rescue and official vehicles, and railway authorities, as a precaution, halted train traffic through the affected area. Periodic snowfalls are forecast in the earthquake zone over the next three days, complicating rescue operations.
Context
Nagqu is located more than 300 km north of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. In January 2025, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Tingri County near Shigatse in Tibet, killing 120 people.
