Magnitude-7 earthquake in Tibet kills at least 16 and destroys hundreds of homes
At least 16 people died and 54 were injured after a magnitude-7 quake struck near Nagqu in northern Tibet, collapsing homes and prompting a large rescue operation.
At a glance
- A magnitude-7 earthquake struck northern Tibet late Thursday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 54.
- At least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed near Nagqu; more than 1,600 local people joined rescue efforts.
- The USGS recorded at least seven aftershocks and said the quake had a depth of 18km; snow is forecast.
A magnitude-7 earthquake struck northern Tibet late on Thursday, killing at least 16 people, injuring 54 and collapsing hundreds of homes in and around Nagqu, according to official media. The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 10:33pm local time, with its epicentre 191km (119 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated high-altitude area. It recorded a depth of 18km.
Rescue and damage
The Nagqu media office, citing city government officials, said at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds had collapsed. More than 1,600 people from the local county were deployed for rescue efforts. Supplies sent to the region included 1,000 prefabricated housing units, about 3,000 tents and folding beds, torches and winter clothing.
Xinhua reported on Friday that communications were down in some affected areas. Local railway authorities took emergency action to halt trains passing through the region. More than 300 police officers were dispatched for relief work, while the regional fire and rescue corps mobilised almost 350 personnel. CCTV footage showed rescue workers moving through damaged buildings, some with collapsed roofs, and people running out of restaurants as objects fell from supermarket shelves when the quake hit.
Aftershocks and access problems
The US agency recorded at least seven aftershocks with magnitudes between 4.3 and 5.2, all at a depth of 10km. Rockfalls forced authorities to close a section of national highway 317, allowing only emergency, rescue and official support vehicles through while crews cleared debris. Intermittent snow was forecast in the quake region over the next three days. CCTV said it was the biggest quake in the area in the past five years.
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, urged comprehensive rescue and medical relief efforts. Nagqu lies more than 300km north of Tibet’s capital, Lhasa.
Earthquakes are relatively common in China. In January 2025, at least 126 people were killed in a quake in Tibet’s rural Tingri county. In December 2023, a quake in remote Gansu province in north-west China killed at least 134 people, state media said. That was China’s deadliest since 2014, when more than 600 people died in the south-western province of Yunnan. A huge tremor in Sichuan province in 2008 left approximately 90,000 people dead or missing, including about 5,000 schoolchildren.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- Where did the Tibet earthquake happen?
- The magnitude-7 quake struck at 10:33pm local time on Thursday, with its epicentre 191km east-northeast of Nagqu in northern Tibet, according to the USGS.
- How many people were killed or injured?
- Official media said at least 16 people were killed and 54 injured. At least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, and rescue efforts continued.
- What damage and disruption did the quake cause?
- The quake collapsed homes, caused rockfalls that closed part of national highway 317, cut communications in some areas and halted trains. Aftershocks and forecast snow added to difficulties.
