SRINAGAR: At least 16 people were killed and 46 others injured after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City, in China’s Xizang region, at 10.33 pm on Thursday, with rescue and relief operations under way in the affected area.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake’s epicentre was about 191 kilometres east-north-east of Nagqu, at a depth of 18 kilometres. The quake struck a sparsely populated, high-altitude area in northern Tibet. Nagqu is located more than 300 kilometres north of Lhasa, the regional capital.
Authorities have launched relief operations, with emergency supplies reaching the affected zone early on Friday. More than 1,600 emergency workers have been deployed to assist with rescue efforts.
The response has been complicated by damaged roads, rockfalls blocking a major highway, communication disruptions and forecasts of snowfall, which could further hamper operations in the mountainous region.
At least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds have collapsed across Nagqu, according to authorities, while assessments of the damage are continuing.
In a post on X, China’s Xinhua News released images showing the impact of the earthquake and said relief materials allocated by authorities at various levels included 1,000 sets of prefabricated houses, more than 3,200 tents and over 2,800 folding beds.
Quilts, stoves, clothing and other essential supplies are also being sent to support people affected by the disaster, Xinhua said.
Further details are awaited.
