A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake struck a remote mountainous region of Tibet on Thursday night, claiming at least 16 lives and leaving dozens injured, according to BBC News. The tremor centered on Baqên County in the Nagqu region, approximately 400 kilometers northeast of Lhasa, Tibet's capital, with rescue operations immediately mobilized to reach affected communities in the high-altitude terrain.
Local emergency management authorities reported that 32 additional people sustained injuries in the disaster. The seismic event caused widespread destruction across the region, with 339 homes collapsing and power supplies severed to affected areas. Rockfall triggered by the earthquake has blocked multiple roads, significantly hampering the ability of rescue crews to access isolated high-altitude settlements where residents remain trapped or unaccounted for.
Tremors from the earthquake were also detected in the Tibetan cities of Qamdo and Nyingchi. Social media footage captured villagers fleeing into streets as buildings swayed violently during the night, though these videos have not been independently verified by news organizations.
Why is this region particularly vulnerable?
The Tibetan plateau sits along one of the world's most seismically active zones, making devastating earthquakes a recurring hazard for residents. In 2023, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the nearby Gansu province, killing more than 120 people and demonstrating the region's susceptibility to major seismic events.
What other recent disasters have affected the area?
The Tibet region has faced compounding natural disasters in recent months. Less than two months before this earthquake, a glacier collapse on the Nepal-Tibet border triggered catastrophic floods and landslides that killed at least 1,400 people, with hundreds still reported missing. Relief operations shifted toward recovery efforts one week after the glacial collapse, as nearly 3,000 people remained unaccounted for across both regions. Scientific research has confirmed that climate change significantly contributed to the glacier collapse, highlighting the accelerating environmental threats facing Himalayan communities.
Key Facts
- The earthquake measured magnitude 7 and struck Baqên County in Nagqu region on Thursday night
- At least 16 people killed, 32 injured, with 339 homes destroyed and power cut to the area
- Rockfall has blocked roads, complicating rescue access to remote high-altitude settlements
- The region experienced a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in 2023 that killed over 120 people in nearby Gansu province
- The area was devastated by glacier-collapse-triggered floods less than two months ago that killed at least 1,400 people
