Northern Tibet Earthquake: Rescue Teams Deploy Winter Gear After 7.0 Quake

Rescue crews in Nagqu have begun distributing winter clothing, tents, and prefabricated housing units to displaced residents following a magnitude-7 earthquake that struck northern Tibet on Thursday night. The tremor killed at least 16 people and injured 54, according to Chinese official media.

The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at 10.33 p.m. local time. Its epicenter was located 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu in a sparsely populated, high-altitude zone. The shock occurred at a depth of 11 miles. The agency logged seven aftershocks ranging from magnitude 4.3 to 5.2, each at a depth of 6 miles.

The Nagqu media office stated that at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. China’s national broadcaster CCTV identified the event as the strongest earthquake in the region in five years. More than 1,600 local county workers joined rescue operations. Xinhua News Agency reported that over 300 police officers and nearly 350 fire and rescue personnel were dispatched to the site. Supplies included 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, folding beds, and torches.

Infrastructure damage has complicated relief efforts. Xinhua reported on Friday that communications were down in parts of the affected area. Regional railway authorities halted train traffic to inspect the lines. Rockfalls closed a section of National Highway 317, restricting access to emergency and support vehicles while crews cleared debris. Intermittent snow is forecast for the next three days.

President Xi Jinping called for an all-out effort in rescue and medical relief. Nagqu is situated more than 185 miles north of Lhasa. The region has a history of seismic activity. In January 2025, a quake in Tingri county killed at least 126 people. In December 2023, a magnitude-6.2 quake in Gansu province killed at least 134 people, marking the deadliest event in China since 2014.

CCTV released video footage showing workers fleeing restaurants and goods falling from supermarket shelves during the initial shock. Rescuers were seen climbing through damaged buildings with collapsed roofs. The next step in the operation involves clearing the highway and restoring communication links as the winter weather sets in.