Nagqu officials dispatch 1,600 workers after 7.0 quake levels 339 homes

Rescue teams have begun distributing winter clothing and temporary shelters to residents of Nagqu, China, following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck the region on Thursday night. The tremor killed at least 16 people and injured 54, according to Chinese official media. More than 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed in and around the city.

The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at 10:33 p.m. local time. Its epicenter was located 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of 11 miles. The agency logged at least seven aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 4.3 to 5.2. Each of these secondary tremors occurred at a depth of 6 miles. CCTV described the event as the largest earthquake in the area in five years.

Local authorities have mobilized over 1,600 personnel from the county to assist with rescue operations. Xinhua reported that more than 300 police officers were sent to the area, while regional fire and rescue services dispatched nearly 350 additional staff. Supplies delivered to the site include 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, torches, and winter clothing.

Infrastructure in the affected zone faced immediate disruptions. Communications went down in some areas, and local railway authorities halted trains passing through the region. Rockfalls closed a section of National Highway 317, restricting access to emergency and official vehicles until crews cleared the debris. Intermittent snow is forecast for the next three days, adding urgency to the distribution of cold-weather gear.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an all-out effort in the rescue and medical relief work. Videos released by CCTV showed workers exiting restaurants and goods falling from supermarket shelves during the initial shaking. Footage also captured rescuers climbing through buildings with collapsed roofs.

Nagqu sits more than 185 miles north of Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. Earthquakes are a recurring feature of the region's geology. In January 2025, a quake in Tibet's Tingri county killed at least 126 people. In December 2023, a tremor in Gansu province resulted in at least 134 deaths, making it the deadliest in China since 2014.

Tibet has been under Chinese administration since the 1950s. The region remains one of the country's poorest areas. In August of this year, a major flood struck the border between Tibet and Nepal, with limited international media access to the Tibetan side of the damage.