Tibet Quake Kills 16, Collapses 339 Homes

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck northern Tibet on Thursday evening, killing at least 16 people and injuring 46 others. The seismic event, which occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time, centered 191 kilometers east-northeast of the city of Nagqu. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at a depth of 18 kilometers in a sparsely populated, high-altitude zone.

Official figures from the Nagqu media office indicate that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. Among the 46 injured, 11 remain in serious condition while 35 suffered minor injuries. Search and rescue operations continued into Friday, with local county authorities deploying more than 1,600 workers to the site. Relief shipments have already arrived, comprising 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing.

Infrastructure damage has isolated parts of the region. Xinhua reported that communication lines are down in certain areas, forcing local railway authorities to halt train traffic. The quake also triggered rockfalls, leading officials to close a section of National Highway 317. Currently, only emergency, rescue, and official support vehicles are permitted to pass while crews clear the debris.

Weather conditions are set to hinder recovery efforts. Intermittent snow is forecast across the quake zone for the next three days. China's state broadcaster, CCTV, identified the event as the largest earthquake in the region in the past five years. Nagqu is situated more than 300 kilometers north of Lhasa, the regional capital, leaving thousands of residents in remote areas dependent on the ongoing relief logistics.