Xi orders all-out relief after Nagqu quake kills 16

Northern Tibet sits along a major geological fault line that has produced several deadly earthquakes in recent years.

A magnitude-7 earthquake struck the region on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people and injuring 54, according to Chinese official media. The US Geological Survey recorded the main shock at 10:33 pm local time, with the epicenter located 119 miles east-northeast of the city of Nagqu. The tremor occurred at a depth of 11 miles in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area.

Local officials reported that at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed in and around Nagqu. CCTV identified the event as the largest quake in the region in five years. The US Geological Survey logged at least seven aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 4.3 to 5.2, each occurring at a depth of 6 miles.

Rescue operations are ongoing with more than 1,600 personnel deployed from the local county. Xinhua reported that over 300 police officers and nearly 350 firefighters are assisting in the effort. Supplies delivered to the area include 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, torches, and winter clothing. President Xi Jinping called for an all-out effort in rescue and medical relief.

Infrastructure damage has disrupted regional transport. Local railway authorities halted trains passing through the area, and rockfalls closed a section of national highway 317. The highway remains open only to emergency and support vehicles while crews clear debris. Xinhua stated that communications are down in some affected areas. Intermittent snow is forecast for the next three days, adding complexity to the relief efforts.

Nagqu is located more than 185 miles north of Lhasa, the administrative capital of Tibet. The region has experienced other major seismic events in the past few years. In January 2025, a quake in Tingri county killed at least 126 people. A separate tremor in Gansu province in December 2023 resulted in at least 134 deaths, making it China's deadliest quake since 2014.

Tibet remains one of China's poorest regions and is seismically active due to its location on the tectonic boundary. The area has been under Chinese control since the 1950s, and its predominantly ethnic Tibetan population maintains a complex relationship with Beijing regarding cultural and religious autonomy. Information flow from the region has often been restricted, as seen during the August border floods with Nepal.