NAGQU, China / AsiaWire.IO / – A magnitude 7.0 quake struck Tibet in southwestern China on Thursday night, resulting in at least 16 fatalities and injuring dozens, according to Xinhua News Agency. The tremor occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time on October 22 in Baqên County, situated in the northern Nagqu area near the Qinghai border. Over 300 residences were destroyed, as reported by the Nagqu emergency management office. Officials are still evaluating the full scope of the destruction.
The United States Geological Survey and the China Earthquake Networks Center both recorded the earthquake at magnitude 7.0. The USGS located the epicenter approximately 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of 18 kilometres, while the Chinese agency estimated a depth of 10 kilometres. China’s state broadcaster CCTV noted this was the strongest earthquake in the area over the past five years.
Initial reports indicated 32 injuries, with 11 classified as serious. As assessments progressed, official updates increased the injury count. Local authorities reported that at least 339 homes had collapsed, and 20 livestock sheds were damaged in Baqên County. Rockfalls blocked a section of National Highway 317, and cracks along with damaged walls were observed in Maru Township.
Rescue operations and relief efforts mobilized to aid affected region
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management deployed a disaster response team, elevating the emergency level to Level III. Over 1,600 local personnel participated in rescue efforts, alongside more than 300 members of the Tibet Military Region and Tibet Armed Police Corps, supported by 20 vehicles. Drones from the Western Theater Command conducted aerial surveys of the impacted zone.
Relief supplies, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, roughly 3,000 tents and foldable beds, flashlights, and winter apparel, arrived in the area. Over 12,400 residents were evacuated. The earthquake affected a remote, high-altitude region with an average elevation of about 4,800 metres. Rescue teams worked overnight, erecting tents to shelter those displaced from their homes.
Frequent seismic activity marks the Tibetan Plateau
The quake resulted from normal faulting, consistent with ongoing east-west extension within the Tibetan Plateau. The epicenter is located in the Qiangtang Block, which has experienced five other earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater since 1900, including a magnitude 7.5 event on November 8, 1997. Seismic activity remains common in western China, including Sichuan.
In January 2025, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Dingri County near Mount Everest, resulting in 126 deaths. The recent quake follows a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in Pakistan’s Balochistan province earlier this month. Authorities in Nagqu continue damage assessments and support for displaced residents, with further casualty updates anticipated as rescue efforts proceed.