NAGQU, China / AsiaWire.IO / – A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake impacted 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 part of Nagqu near the border with Qinghai Province. Over 300 residences were destroyed, as reported by the Nagqu emergency management office. Officials indicated that damage assessments were still ongoing.
Both the United States Geological Survey and the China Earthquake Networks Center recorded the quake at magnitude 7.0. The USGS identified the epicenter approximately 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu city at a depth of 18 kilometres, while the Chinese agency reported a depth of 10 kilometres. According to China’s national broadcaster CCTV, this was the most significant earthquake in the region over the past five years.
Initial reports indicated 32 individuals were injured, with 11 of them in serious condition. As assessments progressed, official updates from state media showed higher injury numbers. Local authorities confirmed that at least 339 homes collapsed and 20 livestock sheds sustained damage in Baqên County. Landslides blocked sections of National Highway 317, and cracks in the ground along with damaged walls were observed in Maru Township.
Rescue efforts and relief supplies mobilize to support affected areas
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management activated a disaster response team, raising the emergency level to Level III. Over 1,600 personnel from the local county were deployed for rescue operations, alongside more than 300 members of the Tibet Military Region and the Tibet Armed Police Corps, equipped with 20 vehicles. Drones operated by the Western Theater Command conducted aerial surveys of the disaster zone.
Relief materials, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents and foldable beds, flashlights, and winter clothing, arrived in the region. More than 12,400 residents were evacuated. The earthquake struck a remote, high-altitude area with an average elevation of about 4,800 metres. Rescue teams worked overnight, constructing tents to provide shelter for those displaced from their homes.
The Tibetan Plateau Continues to Experience Frequent Strong Earthquakes
The seismic event was caused by 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 higher since 1900, including a magnitude 7.5 event on November 8, 1997. Seismic activity remains common across western China, including in Sichuan province.
In January 2025, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Dingri County in Tibet 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 are continuing damage assessments and providing assistance to displaced residents. Updates on casualties are anticipated as rescue operations persist.