At least 16 people were killed and 65 others injured after a magnitude-7 earthquake struck China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday night.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time, with its epicenter 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu City in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area of northern Tibet.
The quake occurred at a depth of 18 kilometers.
The powerful tremor also caused at least 339 houses and 20 livestock enclosures to collapse in Nagqu City, while hundreds of aftershocks were reported as authorities continued assessing the damage and providing assistance to affected communities.
More than 1,600 local personnel were deployed for rescue operations, while relief supplies, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, around 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing, were delivered to the region.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV described the incident as the region’s strongest earthquake in the past five years.
(Photo Courtesy: Reuters)
