Magnitude 7 Earthquake Kills 16 in Tibet, Injures 32

At least 16 people have been killed and 32 others injured after a powerful magnitude 7 earthquake struck Tibet, China. The earthquake also caused 339 houses to collapse and disrupted electricity supplies.

According to the BBC, citing China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, the earthquake struck on Thursday night, with its epicenter in Baqen County in the Nagqu region of Tibet. The report was based on information from the local emergency management bureau.

Baqen County is located about 400 kilometers northeast of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Authorities declared an emergency following the earthquake and dispatched rescue teams to the affected areas. Rescuers are searching through the rubble of collapsed buildings to determine whether anyone remains trapped beneath the debris.

The BBC, citing local media reports, also said rockfalls had blocked roads in several areas, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach remote, high-altitude communities. Strong tremors were also felt in the Tibetan cities of Qamdo and Nyingchi.

Videos circulating on social media showed residents rushing out of their homes and into the streets as buildings shook violently during the night. However, the authenticity of the videos could not be independently verified.

Tibet and its surrounding areas are prone to earthquakes and have experienced major seismic events in the past. In 2023, an earthquake measuring magnitude 6.2 struck China’s mountainous Gansu Province, killing more than 120 people.

Separately, recent devastating floods and landslides triggered by a glacial collapse severely affected parts of Tibet and Nepal. The report said at least 1,400 people were killed and several hundred others remained missing in that disaster.