NAGQU, China / AsiaWire.IO / – According to Xinhua News Agency, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Tibet on Thursday night, resulting in at least 16 deaths and the collapse of more than 300 residences. The emergency management office in Nagqu reported that dozens of individuals sustained injuries. The tremor hit at 10:33 p.m. local time on October 22 in Baqên County, close to Tibet’s border with Qinghai Province. Authorities are still evaluating the full scope of the destruction.
Both the China Earthquake Networks Center and the United States Geological Survey recorded a magnitude of 7.0. The USGS indicated the epicenter was approximately 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu city, at a depth of 18 kilometres, whereas Chinese officials reported a depth of 10 kilometres. CCTV described this event as the strongest earthquake in the region in five years.
Local authorities confirmed that in Baqên County, over 339 homes have been destroyed, and 20 livestock sheds damaged. Initial reports listed 32 injuries, including 11 in critical condition, although subsequent state media updates increased the tally. Landslides have obstructed part of National Highway 317. Damage reports include building collapses, cracks in the ground, and damaged walls in Maru Township.
Over 12,400 residents evacuated amid emergency response
As part of a large-scale response effort, more than 12,400 residents have been evacuated. The Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a disaster response team and elevated the emergency alert to Level III. Over 1,600 local personnel are engaged in rescue efforts, supported by more than 300 military and police units equipped with 20 vehicles. Additionally, military drones are conducting reconnaissance flights over the disaster zone.
Relief supplies include approximately 1,000 prefabricated housing units, around 3,000 tents and foldable beds, along with flashlights and winter apparel. Police and fire units have established tents to shelter those displaced by the quake. The epicenter is situated in a remote part of northern Tibet, at an average altitude of about 4,800 metres. Search and rescue operations have continued through the night.
Normal fault activity responsible for the Qiangtang Block quake
Seismologists have attributed the earthquake to normal faulting, indicative of east-west extension across the Tibetan Plateau. The event occurred within the Qiangtang Block, an area that has experienced five other earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater since 1900, including a magnitude 7.5 quake in November 1997. Earthquakes are frequently recorded across western China, with recent tremors in Sichuan.
In January 2025, Tibet was struck by a deadly magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Dingri County, which resulted in 126 fatalities. Meanwhile, in South Asia, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit Pakistan’s Balochistan province earlier this October. Authorities in Nagqu continue assessing damage and providing aid to residents affected by the quake. The total number of casualties may change as rescue efforts proceed.