A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck a mountainous region of southern China’s Tibet on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people, injuring dozens, and collapsing hundreds of homes. Seismological monitoring placed the shallow tremor in Baqên County within the Nagqu prefecture-level city, triggering immediate emergency deployments across the high-altitude zone.
Magnitude 7.0 Tremor Strikes Baqên County in Northern Tibet
The shallow earthquake hit at 10:33 p.m. Beijing time on Thursday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). Seismological monitoring placed the epicenter 202 kilometers north of Nagqu prefecture-level city in the Tibet Region, at a depth of 10 kilometers. The United States Geological Survey recorded the event at the same time, putting the epicenter 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of 11 miles in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area more than 186 miles north of Tibet’s capital, Lhasa.
A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Baqen County of Nagqu City in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, at 10:33 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). #XinhuaNews pic.twitter.com/ewln8dGEvn
— https://x.com/XHNews/status/2113290235136340025
The shallow focus of the tremor amplified its destructive force, sending shock waves across the autonomous region and into border areas of neighboring countries. State media broadcaster CCTV noted that the tremor was the biggest earthquake in the region in the last five years, as reported by official media.
Casualties, Collapsed Homes, and Infrastructure Damage Across Nagqu
Official media citing the local emergency management bureau and the Nagqu media office confirmed at least 16 fatalities, with 32 to 46 people injured. Among those hurt, city government officials reported that 11 individuals sustained serious injuries while 35 others suffered minor wounds.
The impact on local housing and basic services proved severe. At least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed across the affected area, according to the Nagqu media office. Power supplies in the region were mostly cut off, and communications in part of the area went down following the disaster.
Transportation links suffered immediate disruption. Rockfalls forced local authorities to close a section of National Highway 317, restricting access solely to emergency, rescue, and official support vehicles as crews worked to clear debris. Railway authorities also took emergency actions to halt trains passing through the region.
Emergency Deployments and Severe Weather Complicate Rescue Operations
Authorities declared an emergency and deployed more than 1,600 people from the local county for rescue efforts. Relief brigades and Chinese government agencies initiated operational field deployments to assess infrastructure damage and assist communities near the epicenter, where access routes had been compromised by landslides.
Emergency supplies including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, around 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing arrived in the region to support displaced families. Natural disaster response committees coordinated logistical assistance as crews conducted technical inspections in rural counties and in Lhasa, which sits more than 300 kilometers south of the epicenter.
16 killed, 32 injured in 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Tibet — reportsA 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Baqing County, Nagqu City, Tibet, Xinhua reported. Eleven people were seriously injured and 21 suffered minor injuries. At least 339 homes were destroyed.Footage from social… pic.twitter.com/Qqhx4csymW
— https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/2113395723983340004
Rescue operations face compounding weather challenges. Xinhua reported that intermittent snows are expected in the earthquake region over the next three days, threatening to slow debris clearance and complicate access to remote settlements.
A Vulnerable Mountainous Terrain Facing Recurring Crises
The disaster unfolds against a backdrop of recent trauma across the mountainous terrain. Less than two months prior, Tibet and Nepal suffered massive floods and landslides unleashed by a glacier collapse that killed at least 1,400 people, with hundreds more remaining reported missing.
Emergency management institutions maintained permanent monitoring in vulnerable zones, leaning on infrastructure including the country’s extensive earthquake early warning system deployed earlier in the year. The system uses radio waves that travel faster than seismic waves to issue real-time alerts within seconds. As the preliminary toll continues to be updated, the immediate priority remains reaching remote settlements where landslides and blocked roads have interrupted communications.