Tibet: At least 76 people have been injured and 16 killed after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Nakchu in Tibet on Thursday night, with rescue and relief operations underway in the affected areas.
The earthquake struck Tangnezong district in Nakchu, northern Tibet, at 10:33 pm on Thursday, local authorities said, as reported by Chinese news agency Xinhua on Friday.
The quake also damaged or destroyed 339 houses and 20 livestock sheds, according to a press conference held by the information office of the Nagqu municipal government on Friday afternoon.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicentre was located 183 km east-northeast of Nagqu city. India's National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported that the earthquake occurred at 8:03 pm IST at a depth of 173 km, with its epicentre at latitude 32.368 N and longitude 93.853 E.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed authorities to intensify search and rescue operations, ensure timely medical treatment for the injured and take all possible measures to reduce casualties. He also called for close monitoring of seismic activity and weather conditions to prevent secondary disasters and provide shelter to displaced residents.
More than 5,000 personnel have been deployed for rescue, medical assistance and relief distribution. Authorities said 12,489 residents had been evacuated by 10 am on Friday. After three rounds of door-to-door inspections, no missing persons had been reported as of 6 pm on Friday.
The earthquake has also disrupted transportation in the affected region. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that railway authorities suspended train services through the quake-hit areas following the tremor.
Meanwhile, President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Penpa Tsering, expressed concern over the earthquake and said further information was needed to establish the extent of the damage.
“Last night, there was an earthquake. This is a recurring phenomenon; we have always been saying that Tibet is a seismic zone and the scale of it is about 7, according to what we hear right now, but it could be more; we still don’t know. We’ll have to look for more inputs,” he said.
Tsering said the earthquake occurred in Nagqu, in an area referred to as Tangnezong, and noted that obtaining information from the affected region remained difficult.
“We have no idea about the impact of that earthquake so far, but according to Chinese sources, Xinhua, because you know, even with the Tibet-Nepal flash floods, there was no access to information,” he said, adding that the administration would continue seeking further confirmation.
The relief effort is being complicated by the region's high altitude, low temperatures, reduced oxygen levels and rugged terrain. Authorities have also warned of secondary hazards, including landslides, falling rocks and building collapses.
China has allocated 50 million yuan in emergency relief funding and earmarked another 30 million yuan for recovery efforts. Emergency teams are distributing tents, food, blankets and other essential supplies, while repair crews work to restore damaged infrastructure.
Authorities said rescue operations and monitoring for aftershocks and adverse weather conditions would continue.