At Least 16 K!lled, 65 !njured As Magnitude 7 Earthqu∆ke Rocks Tibet, D£stroys 300 Homes

At Least 16 Killed, 65 Injured As Magnitude 7 Earthquake Rocks Tibet, Destroys 300 Homes

More than 300 homes have collapsed, while electricity and internet services were disrupted in several affected areas.

Amagnitude 7 earthquake has killed at least 16 people and injured 65 others in Tibet, China, after a powerful tremor struck Baqên County in the Nagqu region late Thursday night.

According to BBC, the earthquake triggered an emergency response, with rescue teams deployed to search for survivors, treat the injured and evacuate residents from affected communities. Eleven of the injured were reported to have sustained severe injuries.

More than 300 homes have collapsed, while electricity and internet services were disrupted in several affected areas. Local reports also indicated that more than 12,400 people had been relocated following the disaster.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for urgent rescue operations and medical treatment for the injured, while the Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a team to coordinate relief efforts. President Xi Jinping also ordered an extensive search-and-rescue operation, urging officials to provide emergency supplies, relocate affected residents and restore damaged infrastructure.

Chinese state media reported that 50 million yuan, estimated at about $7.5 million, had been allocated for search-and-rescue operations, evacuation, relocation and repairs to damaged homes.

The earthquake’s epicentre was in Baqên County, approximately 400 kilometres north-east of Lhasa, Tibet’s capital. The area sits on the Tibetan plateau at an altitude of about 4,800 metres, where steep valleys, scattered settlements, freezing temperatures and damaged roads have complicated rescue operations.

Footage broadcast by China’s state television, CCTV, showed rescuers searching through rubble and buildings with collapsed brick walls. Residents were also seen gathering in open spaces after leaving their homes, with some spending the night in tents and vehicles because they feared further aftershocks.

One survivor, identified by Tibet Daily as Yixi Cuomu, said she was asleep when her house began shaking violently.

She reportedly ran outside barefoot after realising an earthquake was taking place. Another resident described the tremor as feeling like “several hundred yaks were running past us.”

The United States Geological Survey recorded several aftershocks near the epicentre, including one measuring magnitude 5.2. The shallow depth of the main earthquake increased the potential for serious damage to buildings and infrastructure.

The independent reporting from Tibet is restricted by Chinese authorities, making it difficult to independently verify information from the affected region.

Much of the available information about the earthquake and its aftermath has come from Chinese state media and local officials.

The disaster is among the deadliest earthquakes to affect the wider region in recent years. In January 2025, another powerful earthquake struck Tibet’s Shigatse region, killing at least 126 people, according to reports at the time.

Rescue teams continued searching damaged communities as authorities worked to assist displaced residents, restore essential services and assess the full extent of the destruction.