BEIJING: A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China’s Tibet region late on Thursday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 32 others, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing the emergency management bureau of Nagqu City.
Of the 32 injured, 11 were in serious condition, while 21 sustained minor injuries, according to Xinhua. The figures were reported as of 2:25 am on Friday.
Local authorities reported injuries in villages near the epicentre, while some houses sustained cracks following the powerful tremors, state media reported.
BREAKING: At least 16 people are dead and 32 injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Tibet, China, officials say. Hundreds of homes have collapsed. https://t.co/unfVsNUS1x
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 22, 2026
The earthquake struck a sparsely populated, high-altitude county in Nagqu, China’s northern Tibet, at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to data from the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC).
The average elevation within five kilometres of the epicentre is around 4,864 metres above sea level. The epicentre was approximately 400 kilometres from Lhasa, the regional capital.
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Footage released by state-run media showed residents leaving their homes and taking shelter outdoors or inside cars. One resident said the strong tremor woke them up and caused the house to creak.
Local fire and rescue teams were mobilised and dispatched to the affected area, state media reported. Several aftershocks measuring around magnitude 3 to 4 were also recorded in surrounding areas.
The earthquake was the strongest to hit China since January 2024, according to the report. In 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Yushu in neighbouring Qinghai province, killing at least 2,698 people and leaving nearly 300 others missing.
