World
Magnitude 7 earthquake in Tibet: at least 16 dead, hundreds of homes collapse in Nagqu
The quake struck a remote mountainous area of northern Tibet late Thursday; Beijing raised its emergency response level and sent hundreds of rescuers.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 23, 2026, 09:30 · Updated 18:45 · 1 min read
In brief
- The quake, according to CCTV the region's strongest in five years, left at least 16 dead and 54 injured.
- At least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, according to the Nagqu media office.
- President Xi Jinping ordered all-out efforts to rescue the missing and treat the injured.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck a sparsely populated area of northern Tibet at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 54 others, according to Chinese official media. The epicenter was about 190 kilometers east-northeast of the city of Nagqu, in a high-altitude mountainous area more than 300 kilometers north of Lhasa.
State broadcaster CCTV called it the strongest earthquake to hit the region in the past five years. The Nagqu media office reported that at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, while Xinhua said communications were cut in some areas.
Beijing raises its emergency level
President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to search for the missing and provide immediate medical treatment for the injured. The Ministry of Emergency Management raised the national response from Level IV to Level III. More than 1,600 personnel were deployed for search and rescue, while 1,000 prefabricated housing units, thousands of tents, folding beds and winter clothing were sent to the area.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded at least seven aftershocks ranging from magnitude 4.3 to 5.2. The agency issued a yellow alert for fatalities and an orange alert for economic losses, noting that people in the region mostly live in structures vulnerable to shaking.
Rockfalls closed a section of National Highway 317 to all but emergency vehicles, and rail authorities suspended trains through the affected area. Forecasts warn of intermittent snow over the next three days, which could complicate rescue operations.
