China: Panic as 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocks Tibet

A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu, in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, at 10.33 pm on Thursday 22 October, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

Surveillance footage captured the moment the tremor struck, showing people rushing out of buildings to escape the shaking. The earthquake’s epicentre was recorded at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, with coordinates placing it at 32.40 degrees north latitude and 93.79 degrees east longitude. The depth and strength of the quake prompted an immediate emergency response from Chinese authorities.

The China Earthquake Administration activated a Level-II emergency response as rescue operations got under way. The Nagqu Battalion of the Lhasa Fire and Rescue Mobile Detachment dispatched an advance team of seven firefighters equipped with life-detection devices and specialist rescue equipment.

Footage showed emergency personnel preparing to leave and vehicles travelling towards the affected area. The teams were sent to assess conditions and carry out rescue operations following the earthquake.

Local authorities later said casualties had been reported, but did not immediately provide a confirmed death toll. At least two people were injured in a village near the epicentre, while cracks were reported in several homes in nearby communities. Officials were checking villages around the epicentre for damage and possible casualties.