NAGQU, China / AsiaWire.IO / – A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Tibet on Thursday night, causing at least 16 deaths and the collapse of over 300 homes, according to Xinhua News Agency. The emergency management office in Nagqu reported dozens of injuries. The seismic event occurred 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 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, while Chinese officials reported a depth of 10 kilometres. CCTV described this event as the strongest earthquake in the region in five years.
Local authorities stated that in Baqên County, at least 339 homes were destroyed, and 20 livestock sheds suffered damage. Initial reports listed 32 injuries, with 11 in critical condition, though subsequent updates from state media suggest higher numbers. Landslides blocked parts of National Highway 317. In Maru Township, building collapses, ground fissures, and damaged walls were observed.
Over 12,400 residents evacuated amid large-scale relief efforts
Following the quake, authorities evacuated more than 12,400 residents and launched extensive rescue operations. The Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a disaster response team and elevated the emergency alert level to Level III. Over 1,600 local personnel, supported by more than 300 troops and armed police with 20 vehicles, joined rescue efforts. Military drones conducted reconnaissance flights over the affected zones.
Relief supplies included around 1,000 prefabricated housing units, nearly 3,000 tents and folding beds, along with flashlights and winter clothing. Police and fire rescue teams established tents for those displaced. The earthquake’s epicenter is located in a remote, sparsely populated part of northern Tibet, at an average elevation of about 4,800 metres. Search and rescue operations continued through the night.
Normal faulting linked to Qiangtang Block seismic activity
Seismologists attribute the quake to normal faulting, indicative of east-west extension of the Tibetan Plateau. The event took place in the Qiangtang Block, an area where five other earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher have occurred since 1900, including a magnitude 7.5 in November 1997. Earthquakes are frequent in western China, with recent tremors also reported in Sichuan.
In January 2025, Tibet experienced a deadly magnitude 7.1 quake in Dingri County that resulted in 126 fatalities. Additionally, earlier in October, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Pakistan’s Balochistan. Authorities in Nagqu continue assessing damages and providing aid to those affected, with casualty numbers likely to change as rescue efforts proceed.