Tibet quake kills 16, destroys 339 homes near Nagqu

At least 16 people died and 46 others were injured when a magnitude 7 earthquake struck China's Tibet region on Thursday evening, according to official media reports.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the tremor at 10:33 p.m. local time at a depth of 18 kilometres. The epicenter was located 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area. Nagqu sits more than 300 kilometres north of Lhasa.

The Nagqu media office, citing city government officials, reported that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. Of the 46 injured, 11 are in serious condition while the remaining 35 sustained minor injuries. Rescue teams continue to search the affected areas.

Local authorities dispatched more than 1,600 personnel from the county to assist in recovery efforts. Relief shipments have already arrived on site. These supplies include 1,000 prefabricated housing units, roughly 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing.

Infrastructure disruptions followed the initial shock. Xinhua, China's official news agency, stated that communication networks went down in parts of the region. Local railway authorities halted train traffic through the zone. Officials also closed a section of National Highway 317 after rockfalls occurred. Only emergency and official vehicles are currently permitted to pass while crews remove debris.

CCTV identified this event as the largest earthquake in the region in five years. Forecasters expect intermittent snow to fall across the quake zone over the next three days, which may complicate ongoing operations.