Powerful Magnitude‑7 Earthquake Strikes Tibet, Claiming 16 Lives

A powerful magnitude‑7 earthquake struck a mountainous region of Tibet, causing at least 16 deaths and dozens of injuries, Chinese state media reported.

The quake’s epicenter was located in Baqên County, Nagqu Prefecture, occurring Thursday night, according to Xinhua’s report that referenced the local emergency management bureau. Baqên lies roughly 400 km northeast of Lhasa, Tibet’s capital.

Local authorities declared an emergency and dispatched rescue teams to the impacted zone, where an additional 32 people were reported injured.

Power outages have been imposed and 339 dwellings have collapsed in the stricken area, according to local reports.

Rockslides have shut down regional roads, complicating access for rescue crews to the hard‑to‑reach high‑altitude communities.

Strong tremors were widely felt in the Tibetan cities of Qamdo and Nyingchi as well.

Unverified videos circulating on social media depict villagers fleeing into the streets as buildings shake violently in the darkness.

The area is historically susceptible to severe seismic events.

In 2023, a 6.2‑magnitude earthquake claimed over 120 lives in the neighboring mountainous Gansu Province of China.

Just two months prior, Tibet and Nepal suffered catastrophic floods and landslides triggered by a glacier collapse, resulting in at least 1,400 fatalities and hundreds still missing.

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