Earthquake in Nagqu: 16 Dead, 339 Homes Destroyed

Residents in northern Tibet are dealing with the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that struck on Thursday evening. The seismic event killed at least 16 people and injured 46 others, according to official media reports.

The worst damage occurred around Nagqu, a city located more than 300 kilometres north of Lhasa. Local officials stated that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. Among the 46 injured, 11 are in serious condition while 35 have minor injuries. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing in the area.

More than 1,600 workers from the local county have been deployed to assist with rescue efforts. Relief supplies have reached the region, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing.

Infrastructure in the affected area has been disrupted. Xinhua reported that communication is down in parts of the region. Railway authorities halted trains from passing through the zone, and officials closed a section of National Highway 317 due to rockfalls. Only emergency and official vehicles are currently permitted to pass through the debris field.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at 10:33 p.m. local time with a depth of 18 kilometres. The epicenter was situated 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu in a sparsely populated, high-altitude zone. CCTV described the event as the largest earthquake in the region in the past five years.

Forecasters predict intermittent snow across the quake zone over the next three days, which could complicate recovery work for the crews on the ground.