At least 16 people have been killed and 32 injured in a magnitude-7 earthquake in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, according to the state news agency Xinhua, citing local disaster management authorities. At least 339 houses collapsed in the quake, prompting police and firefighters to search for people trapped beneath the rubble and set up tents for residents who had lost their homes.
Local authorities reported that 11 of the injured were in serious condition, while 21 sustained minor injuries. Emergency teams continued rescue operations as authorities activated the second-highest level of disaster response, Xinhua reported.
The earthquake struck Baqing County at 10.33pm on Thursday local time. The US Geological Survey (USGS) placed the epicentre 191 kilometres east-north-east of Nagqu and about 390 kilometres north-east of Lhasa, the regional capital. The affected area is sparsely populated and situated at high altitude.
The USGS estimated the earthquake’s depth at 18 kilometres, while China’s earthquake monitoring centre put it at 10 kilometres. The differing measurements reflect the assessments reported by the two agencies.
According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, the earthquake was the strongest to hit the region in five years. The scale of the damage, including the collapse of hundreds of houses, has prompted an extensive emergency response as rescue workers continue searching for survivors.
The latest disaster comes after another deadly earthquake struck Tibet in January 2025. At least 126 people were killed in that quake in Tingri County, a rural area of the region.
Earthquakes regularly strike China, where major seismic events have caused substantial loss of life. The latest tremor in Tibet has left local authorities facing rescue and emergency shelter operations following widespread damage to homes in the affected area.
