Powerful earthquake in Tibet kills at least 16 people
Authorities warn they expect death toll from magnitude 7 quake that hit remote part of Tibet to rise.
A magnitude 7 earthquake has killed at least 16 people in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Search and rescue efforts were continuing on Friday after the quake, whose epicentre was in a remote region of northern Tibet, struck at 10:33pm (14:33 GMT) on Thursday.
A level-II earthquake disaster emergency response was activated in the area, the Xinhua news agency said. Electricity and communication lines were reported to be down.
Officials in Nagqu, a sparsely populated, high-altitude city, said up to 65 people have been injured, according to the Reuters news agency, although other reports suggested a slightly lower figure.
It was the strongest quake to hit China since January 2024. Officials reported the collapse of at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds.
Videos released by state media showed people leaving their homes and seeking shelter outside or in their cars parked on the street.
The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake’s epicentre was in a mountainous area about 190km (118 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu and 390km (242 miles) northeast of Tibet’s capital, Lhasa.
Beijing announced it has deployed 1,600 rescue personnel, said Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, but reaching the area, which sits at an altitude of about 4,800 metres (15,748ft), is difficult with many roads blocked or affected by rockfalls.
“Snow is forecast over the next few days and hours,” she added, noting that the region “is no stranger to earthquakes”.
Authorities suggested the sparse population in the area may have contributed to the relatively low death toll counted so far. However, Yu noted, casualty numbers are expected to rise in the coming hours.
