A magnitude 7 earthquake that struck a remote, high-altitude county in China's Tibet region late on Thursday has killed 16 people and injured 76, local authorities said on Friday, as rescue teams worked through hundreds of aftershocks to reach damaged villages and move residents into emergency shelter.
The quake hit at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday, with its epicentre in Baqen County, near Maru township, in the prefecture-level city of Nagqu in northern Tibet. The U.S. Geological Survey placed the epicentre in a mountainous area about 190 kilometres (120 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu and roughly 390 kilometres northeast of the regional capital, Lhasa. Chinese seismologists said the tremor occurred at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometres, a factor that typically increases the damage felt at the surface. The average elevation within a few kilometres of the epicentre is close to 4,900 metres (about 16,000 feet), and the area is sparsely populated.
It was the strongest earthquake to hit China since January 2024, according to state media reports, and it was felt clearly across the local area. Videos released by official media showed residents leaving their homes and spending the night outside or in parked cars. One resident described being woken by the shaking and hearing the house creak during the tremor.
## Damage and rescue effort
Officials said at least 339 houses collapsed or were damaged, along with a number of livestock sheds — a serious loss in a region where herding is a main livelihood. Power and telecommunications were disrupted in the county seat, although authorities said supplies were gradually being restored on Friday.
More than 12,000 people have been safely relocated, state news agency Xinhua reported. Nagqu police said more than 300 officers, including traffic and community police, were sent to the epicentre for rescue and relief work, checking homes for damage and helping people move to safer ground. Fire and rescue services mobilised hundreds more personnel, and in total more than 1,600 responders have been deployed, bringing tents, folding beds, flashlights, warm clothing and prefabricated housing units to the affected area. A regional earthquake disaster emergency response was activated.
The China Earthquake Networks Center said 413 aftershocks had been recorded by Friday. Officials warned that houses which developed cracks or began leaning during the main shock could collapse in aftershock, and urged residents to stay out of damaged buildings. Sections of National Highway 317 were closed by rockfalls, with access restricted to emergency vehicles, and local rail services were suspended. Forecasters also warned that intermittent snowfall in the coming days could complicate relief work on the cold plateau.
## Why it matters
Earthquakes are a recurring threat on the Tibetan Plateau, where the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates — the same forces that raised the Himalayas — generates frequent seismic activity. The region's remoteness, altitude and harsh weather mean that even a well-organised response faces long distances and difficult conditions, and that shelter and heating become urgent priorities within hours of a major quake.
Thursday's disaster also revived memories of previous deadly tremors in western China. In January 2025, an earthquake in Tibet's Tingri county killed at least 126 people. A quake in Gansu province in December 2023 killed at least 127, and in 2010 a magnitude 7.1 tremor in Yushu, in neighbouring Qinghai province, killed at least 2,698 people.
## What happens next
Authorities said damage assessments were still under way on Friday, and the toll of injured could change as teams reach outlying villages. The immediate focus is on sheltering displaced families before winter temperatures deepen on the plateau, inspecting cracked buildings for aftershock risk, and fully restoring power, communications and road access to the county.
*Reporting based on Reuters, Xinhua and CCTV coverage.*