At least 16 people have died and 65 others were injured after a powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City the southwestern China's Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region late Thursday night.
The quake hit at 10:33 p.m. at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). It is the strongest seismic event recorded in the country since January 2024 also triggering over 400 aftershocks across the high-altitude region.
More than 12,000 residents have been safely relocated to temporary shelters with over 300 homes reporting damage. Emergency relief operations were launched immediately, deploying hundreds of police officers, military personnel and specialized rescue teams overnight.
State authorities alongside the Red Cross Society of China, dispatched thousands of essential relief supplies to the epicentre including winter jackets, cotton tents, heating stoves and medical kits to help survivors brave freezing temperatures.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council expressed condolences to China and confirmed that effort is underway to monitor the safety of 164 registered Taiwanese travelers in the region with no casualties reported among tour groups so far. Search and rescue operations remain active at the epicentre as assessment teams inspect affected infrastructure.
