Nagqu Quake Casualties: Strong Earthquake Kills 16 in China’s Tibet

Nagqu – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – Nagqu quake casualties have reached at least 16 deaths and 32 injuries after a magnitude 7 earthquake shook Tibet on Thursday night. China’s state news agency Xinhua shared the figures, citing the emergency management bureau of Nagqu City.

As of 2:25 am on Friday, 11 of the injured people were in serious condition. The other 21 had minor injuries. Doctors and local teams are still caring for the wounded.

Local authorities found at least two injured people in a village near the epicentre. State broadcasters also reported that some houses in the villages closest to the centre of the quake showed cracks.

This was the strongest earthquake to hit China since January 2024. That makes it a major event for the country and a serious test for emergency teams.

The quake struck a sparsely populated county in Nagqu, in northern Tibet. It was shallow, at a depth of about 10 km (6.2 miles). Shallow quakes often cause stronger shaking at the surface.

The area is also very high. Data from the China Earthquake Networks Centre, known as CENC, shows the average height within 5 km of the epicentre is about 4,864 metres (15,960 feet). Reaching such places can be hard for rescue workers.

The epicentre was about 400 km from Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. The CENC said the quake was clearly felt in the local area.

Videos shared by local state-run media showed people running out of their homes. Many stayed outside, and some sat in cars parked on the street for safety.

One resident said the strong shaking woke them up. The person also heard the house creaking during the tremor.

Fire and rescue teams have been sent to the affected region, state media said. They are heading to the villages near the epicentre to search for people and help the injured.

Smaller tremors followed the main earthquake. CENC data recorded a series of quakes of around magnitude 3 and 4 in the surrounding areas. These aftershocks are common after a big quake, but they can still worry families.

China has faced deadly quakes in the region before. In 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Yushu in the neighbouring Qinghai province. It killed at least 2,698 people and left nearly 300 missing.

The latest Nagqu quake casualties are far lower than that. Still, officials have not said the count is final, so the numbers could change as teams reach more villages.

For now, the focus is on finding anyone in need and treating the injured. People in the area are advised to follow official updates and stay away from damaged buildings.

Authorities are expected to share more details on damage, relief work and the final number of victims in the coming hours and days.