16 killed, 32 hurt after magnitude 7 earthquake strikes China’s Tibet

A strong 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck China’s western Tibet autonomous region late on Thursday and casualties have been reported, state news agency Xinhua said, citing local authorities.

The report did not offer any details about the number or type of casualties.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 10.33pm, was located in a mountainous area about 190km (120 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu and 390km northeast of the regional capital Lhasa, the US Geological Survey said.

It struck at a shallow depth of 10km (6 miles) in Maru township in Baqen county.

A level-II earthquake disaster emergency response was activated in the area, Xinhua said earlier.

Maru township deputy head Lhawang Dagpo said the quake was clearly felt at the township office, which sustained cracks in the walls, according to Xinhua.

China’s state broadcaster said local authorities have found at least two people injured in a village near the epicentre. Xinhua said houses were reported collapsed in the area, and power and telecoms services were disrupted in the county seat.

Workers have been sent to the area to coordinate the response, and local officials were carrying out checks of nearby villages, the agency report said.

Earthquakes in China are relatively common, but Thursday’s quake is reportedly the strongest to hit mainland China since January 2024.

In January 2025, at least 126 people were killed in a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Tibet’s rural Tingri county.