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At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured late Thursday after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City, in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, commonly known as Tibet, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Xinhua said more than 300 houses collapsed. State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) put the number of injured at 65, up from 54 in earlier reports. Power and telecommunications services were disrupted in the county seat.
CCTV footage showed diners running out of restaurants and rescue workers searching damaged buildings with flashlights. Residents quoted by local media said many people were afraid to return home and set up tents along roadsides or slept in cars.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time (2:33 p.m. GMT) at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). The epicenter was in a mountainous area about 190 kilometers (120 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu and 390 kilometers northeast of the regional capital, Lhasa.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said the quake caused “significant casualties” and hit a high-altitude area in cold weather, Xinhua reported. Xi called for search-and-rescue operations, treatment for the injured, and prompt delivery of assistance and equipment.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management upgraded the national earthquake emergency response from Level IV to Level III on Friday. China’s National Fire and Rescue Force sent 350 rescuers and 83 vehicles, and 120 rescuers and 27 vehicles arrived by 6:30 a.m. local time on Friday. CCTV said Baqen County mobilized more than 1,600 people, and the Nagqu Armed Police Detachment sent 225 officers and soldiers.
Authorities delivered relief supplies, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, 3,239 tents, 2,821 folding beds and 4,280 quilts.
The USGS issued a yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and an orange alert for economic losses, estimating losses at less than 1% of China’s gross domestic product (GDP). It noted that people in the region generally live in structures vulnerable to earthquake shaking.
Foreign journalists can barely access Tibet, and Chinese authorities are the only source of official information. In January 2025, a quake in Tibet’s Tingri County killed at least 126 people.
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