NAGQU, China / AsiaWire.IO / – A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Tibet on Thursday night, resulting in at least 16 deaths and the destruction of over 300 homes, according to Xinhua News Agency. The emergency management office in Nagqu reported that dozens of people sustained injuries. The tremor hit at 10:33 p.m. local time on October 22 in Baqên County, near Tibet’s border with Qinghai Province. The full scope of the damage is still under investigation.
Both the China Earthquake Networks Center and the United States Geological Survey confirmed a magnitude of 7.0. USGS data indicates the epicenter was approximately 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu city, at a depth of 18 kilometres, while Chinese officials recorded a depth of 10 kilometres. CCTV described it as the strongest earthquake in the region in five years.
Local authorities reported that in Baqên County, at least 339 homes were destroyed, and 20 livestock sheds were damaged. Initial reports listed 32 injuries, including 11 in critical condition, though subsequent updates from state media suggest higher figures. Landslides blocked sections of National Highway 317, and in Maru Township, there were reports of building collapses, ground fissures, and damaged walls.
Over 12,400 residents evacuated amid extensive rescue efforts
In response to the quake, authorities evacuated more than 12,400 residents. The Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a disaster response team and elevated the emergency level to Level III. Over 1,600 local personnel participated in rescue operations, supported by more than 300 troops and armed police units with 20 vehicles. Military drones were deployed to conduct reconnaissance flights over the affected zone.
Relief supplies included approximately 1,000 prefabricated housing units, around 3,000 tents and folding beds, as well as flashlights and winter clothing. Police and fire rescue teams established tents to accommodate those displaced by the earthquake. The epicenter is situated in a sparsely populated northern Tibet area, at an average altitude of roughly 4,800 metres. Search efforts continued throughout the night.
Normal faulting identified as the cause of the Qiangtang Block quake
Seismologists have attributed the earthquake to normal faulting, indicating east-west extension of the Tibetan Plateau. The event occurred within the Qiangtang Block, an area that has experienced five other earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher since 1900, with the largest being a magnitude 7.5 quake in November 1997. Earthquakes are frequent across western China, including recent tremors in Sichuan.
Tibet experienced a deadly magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Dingri County in January 2025, which resulted in 126 fatalities. In South Asia, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit Pakistan’s Balochistan province earlier this October. Officials in Nagqu continue assessing damages and providing aid to residents affected by the quake. Casualty figures are subject to change as rescue efforts proceed.