In brief
A powerful 7.0 seismic shock struck Baqên County in the Nagqu region of Tibet late Thursday night, leaving at least 16 people dead and more than 60 injured. The epicentre, 400 kilometres northeast of Lhasa, fraught the region with collapsed buildings, widespread power cuts and rockfalls that have hampered rescue access. Authorities declared an emergency, dispatching emergency services and the military to the high‑altitude area. A total of 400‑plus aftershocks have been recorded. Chinese Premier Li Qiang has ordered the allocation of 50 million yuan in relief funds, while home‑bound survivors have fled into the cold night to avoid future quakes. Rescue teams, experienced in plateau operations, are working to clear rubble and provide medical care amid challenging weather and terrain.
A 7.0 earthquake rattled the mountainous region of Baqên County in Tibet, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens of others, state media said.
The tremor struck late on Thursday night and centred 400 kilometres north‑east of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Rescue crews have been deployed after authorities declared the incident an emergency. Sixty‑five people were reported injured, 11 with severe wounds, and a further 339 homes collapsed across the district. Power supplies were cut but already being restored in parts of the area.
More than 12,400 residents were relocated following the quake, while rockfalls have sealed access roads, complicating aid delivery in the high‑altitude terrain.
The United States Geological Survey logged seven strong tremors near the epicentre, the largest being a 5.2‑magnitude shock at a depth of 10 kilometres – close surface quakes that can be especially destructive.
Eyewitness Accounts
Nagqu resident Yixi Cuomu described waking to a violent shaking house, running barefoot to the street before the quake’s force made it safe to remain outside in the freezing night. Another survivor said the ground shook so violently it felt like hundreds of yaks were pounding through the village.
The state media reported more than 400 aftershocks as of Friday morning, prompting officials to urge the public to remain outdoors until the active shaking subsides.
Government Response
Premier Li Qiang called for urgent rescue and medical treatment, stressing that the affected zone sits at roughly 4,800 metres and is highly susceptible to aftershocks. The Ministry of Emergency Management dispatches a working group on ground to guide relief and evacuation efforts.
A 50‑million‑yuan package has been allocated for disaster relief, while Chinese forces and the military employ drones to survey the damaged region.
Context & Prior Hazards
Tibet’s terrain regularly experiences powerful seismic activity; a 6.2‑magnitude quake in 2023 killed more than 120 in neighbouring Gansu province. Earlier this year, floods and landslides induced by a glacier collapse killed at least 1,400 people in Tibet and Nepal.
With limited foreign media access and heavy censorship, Chinese state media remains the primary information source for emergencies in the region.
