NAGQU, China / AsiaWire.IO / – On Thursday night, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Tibet in southwestern China, 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. More than 300 residences were reported to have collapsed, with the Nagqu emergency management office indicating that damage assessments are still underway.
Both the United States Geological Survey and the China Earthquake Networks Center recorded the quake at a magnitude of 7.0. The USGS calculated the epicenter approximately 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu city at a depth of 18 kilometres, while the Chinese agency listed the depth as 10 kilometres. China’s state broadcaster CCTV identified this event as the largest earthquake in the region over the past five years.
Initial reports indicated that 32 individuals were injured, with 11 of those cases classified as serious. As further assessments proceeded, official media updates reported higher injury counts. Local officials also confirmed that at least 339 homes had been destroyed, and 20 livestock sheds damaged in Baqên County. Additionally, landslides blocked a section of National Highway 317, and reports of ground fissures and damaged walls emerged from Maru Township.
Rescue operations and aid deliveries reach the affected region
In response, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management activated a disaster relief team, elevating the emergency response to Level III. Over 1,600 personnel from the local county were dispatched to assist with rescue efforts, alongside more than 300 troops from the Tibet Military Region and the Tibet Armed Police Corps, supported by 20 vehicles. Drones operated by the Western Theater Command conducted aerial reconnaissance of the impacted zones.
Aid supplies, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents and folding beds, along with flashlights and winter clothing, arrived promptly in the area. More than 12,400 residents were evacuated from their homes, as the quake impacted a remote, high-altitude zone with an average elevation of about 4,800 metres. Rescue teams worked tirelessly through the night, constructing tents to shelter those displaced by the event.
Repeated seismic activity reflects ongoing instability in the Tibetan Plateau
The earthquake resulted from normal faulting, consistent with the east-west extension characteristic of the Tibetan Plateau’s geodynamics. Its epicenter is located within the Qiangtang Block, which has experienced five other earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater since 1900, including a notable magnitude 7.5 event on November 8, 1997. Seismic activity remains frequent across western China, including in Sichuan province.
In January 2025, a magnitude 7.1 quake struck Dingri County in Tibet near Mount Everest, resulting in 126 deaths. The recent tremor follows a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in Pakistan’s Balochistan province earlier this month. Authorities in Nagqu are actively evaluating the damage and providing support to those displaced, with further updates on casualties anticipated as rescue efforts continue.