Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered urgent rescue operations and medical assistance after a major earthquake hit Nagqu in northern Tibet, with freezing temperatures and forecast snowfall threatening to complicate relief efforts.
BY PC Bureau
October 23: A powerful magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck the remote highlands of northern Tibet late Thursday night, killing at least 16 people and injuring 46 others in one of China’s most sparsely populated and highest-altitude regions.
The earthquake hit at 10:33 p.m. local time on October 22, with its epicentre in Maru township, Baqen County, under Nagqu City. The location is about 190 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu and approximately 400 kilometres northeast of Lhasa. The China Earthquake Networks Center recorded the quake at a depth of 10 kilometres, while the US Geological Survey estimated it at 18 kilometres.
Situated at an altitude of nearly 4,800 metres, the affected region is characterised by freezing temperatures, thin air and isolated settlements. Many homes, built with limited structural reinforcement, were vulnerable to the violent shaking.
READ: Modi Tears Into Congress, Calls It a ‘Parasite’ Taken Over by ‘Dimagi Naxals’
By early Friday, Nagqu’s earthquake relief headquarters had confirmed 16 deaths and 46 injuries, including 11 people in serious condition. More than 330 houses had collapsed or sustained severe damage. Electricity and telecommunications were disrupted in parts of the county, while rockfalls blocked stretches of National Highway 317 and local rail services were suspended. Aftershocks continued to shake the plateau, including one measuring magnitude 5.2.
BREAKING: 7.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Tibet, Killing 16 And Collapsing Hundreds Of Homes
A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck northern Tibet, China, on October 22, 2026, killing at least 16 people and injuring 32, according to Chinese state media. The earthquake struck the Nagqu region, with its epicentre near Baqên County in a remote, high-altitude area. The powerful tremors caused widespread damage, leaving hundreds of homes collapsed and residents in urgent need of assistance.
Local authorities reported that at least 339 homes had collapsed following the earthquake. Among the 32 injured people, 11 were reported to be in serious condition, while 21 sustained minor injuries. Emergency personnel, including police and firefighters, were deployed to affected communities as rescue operations and damage assessments continued.
The United States Geological Survey placed the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.0 and estimated its depth at approximately 18 kilometres, while China’s earthquake monitoring agency reported a depth of around 10 kilometres. The tremor struck at approximately 10:33 p.m. local time and was felt across the surrounding region. Authorities also began arranging emergency shelters for residents displaced by the destruction.
The earthquake highlights the risks faced by communities living across the seismically active Tibetan Plateau, where the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates contributes to powerful earthquakes. Remote terrain, high elevation and difficult access can complicate rescue operations and the delivery of emergency supplies. Search teams continue working to assess the full extent of the damage and provide assistance to affected residents.
Explore more at : https://t.co/bDOofTAqi1
Stay Updated follow us on,
X: @geopoliticsnow_
Instagram: @geopoliticsnow360
#GN360 #Tibet #China #Earthquake #Magnitude7 #NaturalDisaster #BreakingNews #RescueOperations #Nagqu #EmergencyResponse #Asia #Geopolitics— Geopolitics Now 360 (@geopoliticsnow_) October 22, 2026
Rescue operations began soon after the earthquake. More than 300 police officers and 347 firefighters, backed by search dogs, emergency vehicles and military personnel from the Western Theater Command, were deployed. Local authorities also mobilised more than 1,600 additional personnel to assist with relief and rescue work.
Emergency supplies, including prefabricated shelters, thousands of tents, folding beds and winter clothing, began reaching the affected areas of Tibet overnight. An advance rescue team reported pulling a survivor from the rubble. Regional authorities subsequently raised the emergency response to Level III.
Xi Jinping orders search, rescue in Norther Tibet
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search-and-rescue operation, prompt medical treatment for the injured and measures to prevent further casualties. He stressed the difficulties posed by the region’s extreme altitude and severe cold, calling for close monitoring of aftershocks and weather conditions. Intermittent snowfall is forecast in the coming days, potentially complicating rescue efforts.
BREAKING: A magnitude 7.0 EARTHQUAKE struck the Tibet Autonomous Region, leaving at least 16 DEAD, 32 injured, and hundreds of homes COLLAPSED. ⚠️
Local authorities deployed rescue operations in the ground zero area.
#Tibet #Earthquake #Breaking #China #Disaster #Rescue #Magnitude7
— TheRoverReport (@TheRoverReport1) October 22, 2026
Footage aired by Chinese state media showed Tibet residents rushing out of buildings into streets and open spaces, with some taking shelter in parked vehicles as structures shook. In the county seat and surrounding settlements, walls cracked and household items were thrown from shelves.
The earthquake is the strongest to strike China since January 2024 and one of the most significant seismic events to affect this part of the Tibetan Plateau in recent years.
Rescue teams are continuing to reach remote villages as authorities assess the full extent of the destruction. The Tibetan Plateau is highly prone to earthquakes because of the ongoing collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Officials have cautioned that the death toll and damage estimates could rise as rescue operations expand, access to isolated settlements improves and detailed assessments are completed.
