A major 7-magnitude seismic event has hit the northern region of Tibet, southwest China, leaving a devastating trail of destruction in its wake. As of the latest official updates, the disaster has claimed the lives of at least 16 people, left 65 others injured, and reduced hundreds of residential structures to rubble. Thousands of local residents have been displaced from their homes, prompting emergency response teams to rush to the affected mountainous terrain to reach cut-off communities.
The earthquake struck at approximately 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday, with its epicenter located near Nagqu. Data from the U.S. Geological Survey confirms the epicenter sits around 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu city, at a relatively shallow depth of 18 kilometers – a factor that amplified the damage to surface infrastructure.
Local government officials confirm that at least 339 private homes and 20 dedicated livestock shelters have fully collapsed. In response to the crisis, more than 1,600 emergency response personnel have been deployed to the area, with convoys carrying critical relief supplies including temporary tents, folding beds, and insulated winter clothing already delivered to displaced populations. To date, more than 12,000 affected residents have been successfully evacuated to designated safe zones away from high-risk areas prone to aftershocks and secondary disasters.
Emergency workers are currently facing a cascade of challenges that complicate search and rescue operations. The quake triggered widespread rockslides that blocked segments of a key regional highway, cutting off primary access routes for heavy rescue equipment and supply convoys. Disrupted telecommunication networks and suspended regional railway services have further slowed coordination and response efforts. Making matters worse, meteorological forecasts predict incoming snowfall across the affected zone, which is expected to create additional hazards and slow progress for search teams working to locate any people still trapped beneath collapsed structures.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has issued an official instruction calling for all-out rescue and medical relief efforts to support affected communities, as local authorities continue conducting systematic assessments of the full scope of damage across the quake zone.