By AP and published by Yahoo!News and BBC
BEIJING: A magnitude 7 earthquake hit China’s Tibet region last evening (Oct. 22), killing at least 16 people, injuring 54 and collapsing hundreds of homes in the northern regional city of Nagqu, official media said.
Search and rescue efforts continued following the collapse of at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds, the Nagqu media office said, citing city government officials.
More than 1,600 people from the local county were deployed for rescue efforts. Supplies including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, around 3,000 tents and folding beds, as well as flashlights and winter clothing arrived in the region.
China’s official news agency Xinhua said today that communication in part of the region has been down. Local railway authorities have taken emergency actions to halt trains passing through the region.
The earthquake also caused rockfalls that have forced local authorities to close a section of National Highway 317, allowing only emergency, rescue and official support vehicles through as crews worked to clear debris, according to Xinhua.
Intermittent snows are expected in the earthquake region over the next three days, Xinhua said.
It was the biggest earthquake in the region in the last five years, China’s national broadcaster CCTV said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts in rescue operations and medical relief work.
The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time, with its epicentre 191 kilometres (119 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area of northern Tibet. It put the earthquake’s depth at 18 kilometres (11 miles).
Nagqu is more than 300 kilometres (186 miles) north of Tibet’s capital, Lhasa.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) has recorded seven tremors close the epicentre, all of which are located in the mountainous region.
The largest tremor was recorded at 5.2 magnitude at a depth of 10km.
Meanwhile, USGS data showed the epicentre was recorded 18km deep at magnitude seven. It is also believed approximately 111,000 felt moderate to severe shaking overnight when it struck.
Shallow earthquakes and tremors closer to the Earth’s surface are more damaging than deep quakes.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters inspect an earthquake-hit village houses in Baqen County of Nagqu City in China’s Tibet autonomous region, today, Oct. 23, 2026. Photo – Xinhua via AP and published by Yahoo!News
Insert: In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, people set up tents for quake-affected residents at a primary school following an earthquake at Baqen County of Nagqu City in southwest Tibet autonomous region today, Oct. 23, 2026. Photo – Xinhua via AP and published by Yahoo!News
Also read:
Zhang family suspected of holding cache of casino-issued digital tokens
Klatham MPs tipped to get ‘dismissed’, then skip over to Bhumjaithai
1,000-baht departure tax put off as tourism looks promising
Abhisit ridicules Anutin over response to Zhang scandals
Zhang family’s online casino interest could hold Digital Minister responsible
Zhang’s income from purported sale of online casino share to be examined
NACC bound to look into Zhang’s online casino stake under asset concealment charges
Thailand secures $200 million World Bank loan to develop low-carbon cities
Rukchanok says no to Bhumjaithai dissolution due to Suchada’s ill-gotten donations
Assembly of the Poor issues 6 demands before ending anti-IMF protest
Censure debate scheduled for four days during final week of this month
