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 destruction of more than 300 homes. The emergency management office in Nagqu reported that dozens of individuals were also injured. 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 working to determine the full scope of the damage.
Both the China Earthquake Networks Center and the United States Geological Survey confirmed 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 recorded a depth of 10 kilometres. CCTV, the state broadcaster, described this event as the strongest earthquake in the region in five years.
Local authorities reported that at least 339 homes were flattened, and 20 livestock sheds sustained damage in Baqên County. Initial reports listed 32 injured, including 11 in critical condition, though subsequent updates from state media raised this number. Landslides blocked sections of National Highway 317, and reports from Maru Township included building collapses, ground fissures, and damaged walls.
Over 12,400 Residents Displaced in Response Effort
A large-scale evacuation was carried out, with more than 12,400 residents moved to safety as authorities initiated their emergency response. The Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a disaster response team and elevated the emergency alert to Level III. Over 1,600 local personnel participated in rescue efforts, supported by over 300 troops and armed police with 20 vehicles. Military drones were deployed to conduct reconnaissance flights over the impacted zone.
Relief supplies included roughly 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents and folding beds, along with flashlights and winter clothing. Police and fire rescue teams established tents to accommodate those displaced by the quake. The epicenter is situated in a remote part of northern Tibet, at an average altitude of around 4,800 metres. Search and rescue activities continued overnight.
Qiangtang Block Earthquake Caused by Normal Faulting
Seismologists attributed the quake to normal faulting, which indicates east-west extension within the Tibetan Plateau. The event occurred in the Qiangtang Block, an area that has experienced five other earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater since 1900, including the largest, a magnitude 7.5 quake in November 1997. Earthquakes are frequent throughout western China, with recent tremors also reported in Sichuan.
In January 2025, Tibet was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Dingri County that resulted in 126 fatalities. Additionally, earlier in October, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Officials in Nagqu continue to evaluate damage and coordinate relief efforts for those affected. The final casualty count may change as rescue operations move forward.