Magnitude 7 Earthquake Kills 16 in Northern Tibet as Snow Approaches

A powerful tremor shook the high-altitude region of northern Tibet on Thursday evening. The United States Geological Survey recorded the event as a magnitude 7 earthquake that struck at 10:33 p.m. local time. The epicenter was located 191 kilometers east-northeast of the city of Nagqu.

Official media reported that at least 16 people died and 46 others were injured in the initial impact. The Nagqu media office, citing local government data, stated that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. Among the injured, 11 are in serious condition while 35 sustained minor injuries. Search and rescue operations remained active as of Friday.

More than 1,600 personnel from the local county have been deployed to the site. Relief logistics included the delivery of 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing. Local railway authorities halted train traffic through the affected zone to ensure safety.

Communication services were down in parts of the region, according to Xinhua, China's official news agency. The earthquake triggered rockfalls that forced officials to close a section of National Highway 317. Only emergency and support vehicles are currently permitted on that route while crews remove debris.

CCTV identified this as the largest seismic event in the region in the past five years. The quake occurred at a depth of 18 kilometers. Nagqu is situated more than 300 kilometers north of Lhasa, the administrative capital of the Tibet region.

Weather conditions are expected to complicate ongoing recovery efforts. Xinhua reported that intermittent snow is forecast across the quake zone for the next three days.