In brief
A 7.0 seismic event hit Baqên County in Tibet’s Nagqu region late Thursday, shattering 300 homes and causing power outages across the area. Local authorities report 16 fatalities and 32 injuries, prompting an emergency declaration and dispatch of rescue teams. Roads have been blocked by rockfalls, hampering relief efforts. The quake adds to a recent series of natural disasters that devastated Tibet and Nepal with landslides and floods, claiming thousands of lives.
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake rattled the rugged terrain of northern Tibet on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people and injuring 32 more.
The epicentre was pinpointed in Baqên County, within the Nagqu region, 400km northeast of Lhasa, as reported by Xinhua following statements from the local emergency management bureau.
Following the quake, authorities declared a regional emergency and dispatched rescue teams into the hard‑to‑reach valley. Over 300 homes collapsed, and power supply was largely cut, leaving many residents stranded.
Rockfall has sealed several roads, complicating access for relief crews and adding urgency to the search for survivors.
Tibet and neighboring Nepal are still grappling with the aftermath of last year’s catastrophic floods and landslides triggered by a glacier collapse, which killed more than 1,400 people and left hundreds missing.
Allied news after the strike point to continued challenges for the region’s emergency services, as the mountainous terrain and ongoing volcanic rockfalls raise the stakes for search and rescue operations. Further updates will follow as additional information becomes available.
