Tibet: 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocks region, 18 dead, over 40 injured
What's the story
A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked a remote region in China's Tibet on Thursday, killing at least 18 people and injuring 46 others. The United States Geological Survey reported the quake struck at 10:33pm local time (1433 GMT), with its epicenter in a mountainous area about 190km east-northeast of Nagqu and 390km northeast of Lhasa, the regional capital.
Damage assessment
339 houses collapsed or damaged
According to China Central Television (CCTV), the national television broadcaster, 339 houses either collapsed or were damaged due to the quake.
The report also said that 46 people were injured in the disaster, out of whom 11 suffered serious injuries.
Initial inspections found that 339 houses had collapsed.
In the wake of the disaster, over 300 police officers have been dispatched to support ongoing rescue operations.
Disaster history
Another disaster killed at least 126 people in January 2025
Videos shared online captured scenes of panic as workers fled restaurants and items tumbled off supermarket shelves during the quake.
This earthquake comes on the heels of another major earthquake that struck Tibet's rural Tingri county in January 2025, killing at least 126 people.
The region has also been reeling from devastating flash floods that killed over 1,400 people near the Nepal-Tibet border in August.