16 DEAD, DOZENS INJURED AS 7.0-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE ROCKS TIBET
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Agency Report
Chinese authorities have ordered an all-out rescue operation in Tibet after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed at least 16 people, injured dozens and caused more than 300 houses to collapse, state media reported.
The earthquake struck on Thursday evening, leaving buildings damaged and residents fleeing their homes as rescue workers searched through debris in the dark.
Footage released by state news agency Xinhua showed emergency personnel using torches to navigate collapsed structures in search of survivors.
China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, reported that 65 people were injured as the tremor struck. Videos showed diners rushing out of restaurants and goods falling from supermarket shelves as buildings shook.
A resident told local media that her family had just gone to bed when the earthquake struck, knocking objects over and forcing them to flee without getting dressed.
“My legs were shaking the entire time I was heading downstairs and by the time I reached the bottom, I was so terrified that I burst into tears,” she said.
The resident added that many people were afraid to return to their homes, with some erecting tents along roadsides while others spent the night in their vehicles.
Another resident told the Beijing News that the tremor caused his home to creak and rattle, forcing him to drive to an open area to sleep in his car.
CCTV footage also showed rescue personnel carrying an injured person and inspecting damaged buildings, some of which had suffered roof collapses.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an intensified search-and-rescue operation, describing the earthquake as having caused “significant casualties” in a high-altitude area experiencing cold weather.
“(We) must go all-out to carry out search and rescue operations and do our utmost to treat the injured, so as to minimise casualties,” Xinhua quoted him as saying.
Xi also directed authorities to provide assistance to affected residents and ensure that rescue equipment reached the area promptly.
The United States Geological Survey said the epicentre was in a mountainous area approximately 190 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu and 390 kilometres northeast of Lhasa, the regional capital.
The earthquake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometres.
Lhawang Dagpo, a local official in Maru township, where the epicentre was located, told Xinhua that the tremor caused cracks in the walls of his office.
Power and telecommunications services were disrupted in the county seat, according to the news agency.
Baqing County mobilised more than 1,600 people to support rescue and relief operations, CCTV reported.
The municipal fire and rescue brigade dispatched 25 vehicles and 110 personnel, while the Nagqu Armed Police Detachment deployed 225 officers and soldiers alongside 18 vehicles.
CCTV also reported that relief supplies delivered to the affected area included 1,000 prefabricated houses, 3,239 tents, four generators and 1,000 flashlights.
Tibet is largely inaccessible to foreign journalists, making Chinese authorities and state media the main sources of official information about the disaster.
Earthquakes are relatively common in China, which has experienced several devastating tremors in recent years.
In January 2025, an earthquake in Tingri County in Tibet killed at least 126 people.
In December 2023, another earthquake in remote Gansu Province in northwestern China killed at least 148 people, according to state media.
A major earthquake in Sichuan Province in 2008 left about 90,000 people dead or missing, including thousands of schoolchildren.
The latest disaster has prompted an urgent mobilisation of rescue teams and emergency supplies as authorities continue efforts to locate survivors, treat the injured and assist displaced residents.
AFP
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