China Earthquake Kills 16, Injures 32 As 300 Houses Collapse

At least 16 people were killed and 32 more injured when a strong 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck China’s remote Tibet region, state news agency Xinhua said, citing local authorities.

More than 300 houses collapsed in the earthquake, which struck Thursday at 10:33 pm (1433 GMT). Officials were still evaluating the damage, and disaster relief work was ongoing, Xinhua said.

The quake’s epicentre was located in a mountainous area about 190 kilometres (120 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu, and 390 kilometres northeast of the regional capital Lhasa, the US Geological Survey said.

It struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres.

A level-II earthquake disaster emergency response was activated in the area, Xinhua said.

The epicentre was located in Maru township in Baqen county. Township deputy head Lhawang Dagpo said the quake was clearly felt at the township office, which sustained cracks in the walls, according to Xinhua.

Power and telecoms services were disrupted in the county seat, the agency said.

Earthquakes in China are relatively common.

In January 2025, at least 126 people were killed in an earthquake in Tibet’s rural Tingri county.

AFP